Despite Opposition, Tax Reform Bills Will Be Passed – Senator Dickson Says
Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West senatorial district, has declared that in spite of the opposition against the Tax Reform Bills, the National Assembly will pass them.
He stressed that the Tax Reform Bills are vital for correcting an unfair system, adding that they will be passed through due process.
The former governor of Bayelsa State, who likened the Bills to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which succeeded with a controversial 3% allocation to host communities as against 10%, dismissed fears of any backlash. He assured Nigerians that the legislative process will not be derailed by opposition, saying that when the PIB passed at 3% instead of 10%, heavens did not fall, thus, won’t fall now.
In the words of Dickson; “Central to the bill, Dickson explained, is the need to ensure taxes are paid to the states where they are generated.
“It is unacceptable that taxes from Bayelsa are sent to Lagos simply because of company headquarters. If you make calls, buy cement, or consume any service in Bayelsa, the tax should stay in Bayelsa, and not Lagos,” he stated.
Dickson explained his long-standing fight against this inequity as a former governor, and state his concerted efforts to challenge VAT distribution at the Supreme Court.
The former governor of Bayelsa State advised states concerned about potential losses to present their cases at the scheduled public hearings.
According to him; “Public hearings are for facts, not emotions. Let everyone come forward with their data, there will be no intimidation. I don’t play regional games. I’m a national politician, and I do what’s best for Nigeria.
“I don’t follow the crowd. When others supported the Naira redesign, I stood against it because it wasn’t right. I’m consistent in fighting for what’s fair.
“This bill is about justice. States should benefit from the wealth they generate. It’s time to end a system that benefits a few at the expense of others,” he stressed.
