Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday described the plan by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to increase the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) as well as to impose other stringent taxes on goods and services being used by Nigerians as cruel and anti-people.

Rejecting the plan, PDP, in a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of its Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO), Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the plan further exposes President Buhari as uncaring and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, who are already overburdened and groaning under the economic hardship occasioned by his harsh policies and incompetence in office.

“President Buhari is aware that the increase in taxes directly results in increase in the costs of common goods and services on which families depend for survival, yet he is imposing them on the system.

“It is indeed heartrending that at a time other leaders all over the world are seeking ways to lift burdens off the shoulders of their citizens, President Buhari is rather planning to put more burden on Nigerians, if he is allowed to continue in office beyond May 29.

“President Buhari has shown that he lacks the capacity to harness our nation’s resources to create wealth for the benefit of Nigerians, but harbours the plan to fleece the people with stringent taxes. A vote for President Buhari is therefore a vote for more economic hardship in our country,” the party said.

PDP said that rather than imposing more burden on the people, the President should find a way to recover the money allegedly looted by the cabal in his government.

“President Buhari should rather recover the over N14 trillion public funds siphoned by the cabal in his Presidency and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) instead of pushing the brunt of the corruption in his administration to Nigerians.

“We invite Nigerians to note that this is a marked difference between President Buhari and the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who is known for his capacity to properly harness resources and create wealth for the good of the citizens.

“Atiku Abubakar is completely averse to burdening of citizens for which he has already worked out a template for immediate elimination of multiple taxation, slashing of income taxes and in return increase government funding to small and medium enterprises to empower Nigerians across board.

“We therefore call on all Nigerians to rise on February 16, 2019 and use their votes to take back their country from the stranglehold of the Buhari Presidency and consolidate on their decision to vote in Atiku Abubakar, as the next President so that our nation can return to the path of good governance, national cohesion and economic prosperity,” the party said.

•Sourced from a DailyIndependent report