Breaking: NLC rejects planned fuel price hike, warns against VAT increase

The Nigerian Labour Congress has opposed the proposed plan by the federal government to remove the fuel subsidy and increase the Value Added Tax (VAT).

The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba and the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Bala Kaigama, jointly in an address to workers as part of activities marking the May 31 Workers Day, stated that increase in the VAT and pump price of petrol would worsen the poverty in the country, Daily Trust reports.

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"Organized labour in Nigeria is perturbed at the recent return of long queues at petrol stations in many of our cities. We believe that the current chaos was induced by the unsolicited advice by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that our government should stop subsidizing PMS," the address by the labour leaders read in part.

“Well, what the IMF means by subsidy removal is increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the cost of government’s failure to the masses."

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The labour leaders said the intervention of the IMF in Nigeria has always been about the removal of the so-called petrol subsidy, as well as implementing naira devaluation and opening of the country's borders to allow the influx of foreign goods.

Meanwhile, the Jigawa state government has declared its readiness to implement the N30,000 new minimum wage.

The declaration was made by the deputy governor of the state, Ibrahim Hassan Hadeija, while taking questions from members of the press on Monday, April 29, Daily Trust reports.

Legit.ng gathers that Hadeija said provision for the increment in workers’ salaries had been made in the 2019 budget, by the state government.

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Source: Legit.ng