Nigeria overhauled its tax system at the beginning of the year. The government claimed the “reforms” would benefit low income earners especially.
As Noam Chomsky said, “‘reform’ is a word you always aughta’ watch out for. ‘Reform’ is a change that you’re supposed to like. And watch it – As soon as you hear the word ‘Reform’, you should reach for your wallet and see who’s lifting it.”
The German public service channel, DW, took a look at the tax changes in Nigeria in this report:
While the government claims the aim of their tax reforms is to raise revenue beyond oil and make the system fairer, most Nigerians are suspicious of a government that has proven over the years to be unresponsive to the needs of the people. The social contract between the governed and the governing has broken beyond repair. This is made worse by chronic looting of public funds and the perception that any taxes raised will be looted. As if those rightly-held beliefs were not enough, the fact that power is gained via rigged elections means that the government does not represent the will of the people. In the words of the American colonists, as they campaigned against paying taxes to Britain before they gained independence, “taxation without representation is tyranny”.
As a woman asked the reporter. “all the taxes they have been collecting, what are they using it for”. This question couldn’t be answered in the past and is likely to remain unanswered in the future.
