By Tony Ailemen, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, assured that the current tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly will not lead to increase in tax burden on poor Nigerians.
This is as the President has also promised to prioritise social investment programmes.
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said the President stated this in far away Brazil at a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to him, the president also assured that his administration will continue prioritising the welfare of the poor and most vulnerable even as the economic reforms bear fruit.
President Tinubu, while meeting with the IMF CEO, also acknowledged that the ongoing reforms have weakened the purchasing power of Nigerians, noting that “the administration will continue to provide social safety nets to cushion the unintended consequences.”
Tinubu congratulated the IMF chief on her election for a second term in office, even as he appreciated her continued support in implementing the reforms, calling for more institutional backing for stability and sustainable growth.
“We have started seeing positive results from our reforms, and the Nigerian people now understand the need for them, but we have to reduce the hardship that has resulted from the implementation.”
He emphasised the critical need for educational access.
“We have too many children out of school, and we know that education is a way out of hunger and poverty. That is why we are designing ways and incentives to keep these children in school, and we need your support for these kids who want to stay in school,” he told the IMF chief.
President Tinubu stressed that substantial resources must be invested to stimulate the much-needed infrastructural development in the country.
The president further noted that Nigeria is working on tax reforms to stimulate the economy further.
“We are engaging stakeholders and sensitising Nigerians to expand the economy’s tax base for inclusive developmental growth. We are doing this without necessarily increasing the taxes on our people who have already given a lot. We will require your support on this.”
In her remarks, the IMF managing director, who expressed a desire to visit Nigeria, commended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and their positive indicators.
She assured the president of further support in diversifying the Nigerian economy.
She specifically lauded the social investment programmes as a way of cushioning the effects on the most vulnerable and promised the assistance of the body in this regard.
Contrary to popular perception, she said that the IMF is focused on developing vulnerable societies and devoting substantial resources to emerging economies.
The managing director expressed the Fund’s readiness to offer technical support for the budgeting process, stressing that it will assist Nigeria in achieving the best possible results from loans.
Georgieva said the world hass suffered some shocks from the pandemic that caused damage to world economies. Over the last two years, the IMF has injected about $1 trillion into the world economy.
While the developed countries managed the shocks better, the developing nations did not do so, she noted.
She said the IMF is working with developing countries to build resilient institutions to better manage future global economic shocks.
She stressed that it is the right of every country to benefit from the Fund after a critical analysis of its priorities.
The IMF Managing Director informed President Tinubu that the organisation’s Executive Board has approved the 3rd Chair for Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), enhancing the African voice.
She congratulated Nigeria on hosting the IMF’s African Caucus meeting in Abuja in August.
Georgieva also advocated for deepening regional economic ties, ensuring the IMF is ready to support this process.
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