President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday wrote to the House of Representatives seeking amendments to the Finance Act recently passed by the National Assembly.
The letter was read by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila at the commencement of plenary.
In the letter, President Buhari asked that the Act be amended to indicate that the new law took effect from February 1, 2020.
The President also wants the Act to indicate that the annual fees payable on basic good items are different from Valued Added Tax.
Buhari’s letter titled: “Transmission of the Finance Act, 2019 (Amendment) Bill for consideration and passage into law” reads in part:
“Pursuant to Sections 58 and 59 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I formally request that the Finance Act, 2019 (Amendment) Bill, be considered by the House of Representatives for passage into law.
“This Bill seeks to amend the Finance Act, 2019, as recently passed by the National Assembly, by clarifying.
“That the administrative effective date for the increase in Value Added Tax from 5% to 7.5% is the 1st of February 2020.
“That ‘Animal Feeds’ are included in the list of Basic Food items that are exempt from Value Added Tax; and
“Aspects of the tax holiday incentive for agriculture, by targeting this incentive to small and medium sized companies that invest in primary crop, livestock, forestry and fishing agricultural production.
“This incentive is also to be administered by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission pursuant to the Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act.
“While I trust that this Bill will be favourably considered for passage into law by the National Assembly, so as to support the implementation of the 2020 Federal Budget.”
