The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday passed the State Value Added Tax (VAT) bill and the bill that prohibits open cattle grazing in the state.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa thereby directed the Acting Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit a clean copy to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.
The two bills were passed after unanimous votes by the lawmakers at the sitting where they were read the third time.
Immediately after their passage, Speaker Obasa commended his colleagues for their passion to see that the state continues to grow.
Recall that the House held separate public hearings on the bills on Wednesday with stakeholders expressing support.
The House had on Monday read for the second time the bill on open grazing and the value-added Tax bill.
The Assembly after the reading committed the bill on open grazing to the committee on agriculture, while the bill on VAT was sent to the committee on finance.
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Obasa had described the ‘Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill’ as timely and one that would ensure harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the southwest zone.
He also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.
“Allocating parcel of land is not enough but there should be the training of those who would go into ranching, ranching is expensive and required adequate preparation,” he had said.
Speaking on the VAT bill, Obasa said it would lead to increase in revenue and increase in infrastructural development in Lagos.
“ This is in line with fiscal federalism that we have been talking about,”Obasa said.
