NLC urges withdrawal of controversial Tax Reform Bills, advocates for worker welfare in 2025
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the federal government to withdraw the Tax Reform Bills presented by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly.
These bills have faced sharp criticism, particularly from northern regions, which view them as counterproductive to economic growth.
In his New Year message titled “In 2025, Hope is in Our Collective Resolve,” NLC President Joe Ajaero emphasized the need for governance that prioritizes citizens’ welfare.
He pledged that organized labour would intensify efforts for a wage review to ease the burden of rising living costs on workers.
“As we step into the year 2025, the Nigeria Labour Congress extends warm New Year greetings to every worker and citizen across our great nation,” Ajaero stated, urging Nigerians to rally together to overcome economic hardship and stagnation.
“No external power will deliver us from this scourge; only our collective resolve can propel our nation forward.”
Highlighting key expectations for improved living conditions, he underscored the need for better access to food, healthcare, housing, education, and security. Ajaero stressed the importance of transparent and inclusive governance, free from nepotism and coercive tactics.
The NLC further called for a withdrawal of the contentious tax bills to allow for broader stakeholder involvement in creating a new, widely accepted tax law. Ajaero announced plans for a national dialogue in January 2025, aimed at fostering inclusive reforms to drive sustainable national development.
“It is on this premise that we once again call on the federal government to withdraw its present tax bills before the National Assembly so that all key national stakeholders will be part of the process.
‘’As we embark on a national dialogue in Ibadan in January, 2025, we want to join hands in co-creating a new national tax law that would enjoy wider acceptance and fulfill its purpose of propelling national development which we believe is the main objective of government,” he added.
