The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticised the Federal Government over the newly introduced tax system, accusing it of placing excessive financial pressure on Nigerian workers.
Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television, the NLC’s Head of Information, Benson Upah, said the government was making “frantic efforts” to overtax citizens, joking that workers might soon be charged for the air they breathe.
Upah faulted the government for failing to consult labour unions before implementing the tax laws, despite workers being the largest tax-paying group in the country.
“Consultative engagement makes for good governance. Once that is lacking, disagreements are inevitable,” he said. “We were not consulted before these tax laws were put in place, even though we are the biggest taxpayer community in the country.”
He disclosed that the NLC had written to the government during the constitution of the tax committee but was ignored. According to him, since the law came into force, there has been no public enlightenment to educate workers on its implications.
Upah also challenged claims that the new system protects low-income earners, noting that most workers in the formal sector earn above the stated threshold.
“What we hear is that people earning below one million naira will not be taxed. But going by the national minimum wage, no one in the formal sector earns below that, so it does not apply,” he said.
He further lamented that allowances previously exempted from tax would now be taxed, in addition to other new tax liabilities.
“The only thing they may not tax for now is the oxygen we breathe and the carbon dioxide we exhale,” Upah added.
He called for renewed dialogue with the government, stressing that lower taxes and efficient collection methods would encourage compliance and reduce resistance among citizens.
