NLC takes up battle with FG, rejects 6% stamp duty on tenancy, lease agreement
THE GROUND MAY HAVE BEEN PREPARED for confrontation between the federal government and the Nigeria Labour Congress over government’s decision to charge tenants six percent stamp duty.
The NLC has said it would not accept the policy and therefore called on the government to rescind the decision.
NLC in a statement by its Ayuba Wabba, its president, called on Government to rescind the policy to avoid confrontation with organised labour and Nigerian masses.
The statement reads in part “We read with dismay the new policy by the Federal Government through the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, stipulating a 6 per cent stamp duty fee for every tenancy and lease agreement in Nigeria. This new financial burden on poor Nigerians comes at a time when the socio-economic pressure arising from COVID-19 dislocations is pushing many Nigerians beyond the limits.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress rejects this new stamp duty policy on rents and leases as it would worsen the deplorable situation faced by Nigerian workers most of whom, unfortunately, are tenants. It is also alarming that we are having a rash of hike in taxes and user access fees when other countries are offering palliatives to their citizens.
“We call on the federal government and the Federal Inland Revenue Service to rescind this harsh fiscal measure as it is boldly insensitive to the material condition of Nigerians which has been compounded by the Covid-19 health insurgency. Nobody would want to be a tenant if they had an alternative. This means that tenants in which these new policy targets are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. It would be illogical, insensubscribed sitive, and inhumane to churn out laws that make our poor go to bed at night with tears in their eyes.
“The principle of public taxation especially progressive taxation all over the world is that the rich subsidies for the poor. Every tax policy that would be enforceable must create a safety net for the poor. Recent policies of government indicate otherwise. “Accommodation is a fundamental right guaranteed by Nigeria’s constitution. It is unimaginable that tenants who are in the most vulnerable group would be expected to pay 6 per cent tax for accommodation when sales tax is 1.5 per cent.