Vice President Kashim Shettima said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is deeply concerned about Nigerians’ welfare and is introducing policies to reduce poverty without increasing their burdens.
The Vice President made the statement during an interfaith Ramadan and Lent breaking of fast at the State House, Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, VP Shettima said the implementation of new tax reforms will eliminate the burden of multiple levies and charges on small businesses and low-income earners in Nigeria, thereby helping to reduce poverty.
He noted that the planning and implementation of the tax reforms were carefully designed to improve livelihoods, contrary to the claims of political detractors.
“The same people who are shouting hoarse that the tax reform is meant to pulverise further and pauperise the poor are far from the truth, but we have to go out and tell the truth to the people.
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“We have to educate them. We have to mount the pulpits and take our government to the Nigerian people and tell them the truth,” he said.
Shettima highlighted some of the gains of the economic reforms, including an increase in the nation’s foreign exchange reserves, streamlining of the exchange rates and the removal of a subsidy that had favoured only a few for many years.
He said President Tinubu should be commended for the courage to address the issues that past administrations avoided.
The Vice President explained that the removal of the fuel subsidy was not mentioned in the President’s 2023 inaugural speech. Still, the President had to announce it, knowing that the system was draining the economy of resources for development.
“Three years down the road, the economy has bounced back,’’ he added.
“On behalf of the President, I want to thank you all for comradeship, support and partnership,’’ he stated.
Shettima advised government officials to be more active in sharing facts about the administration’s achievements and to be ready to counter falsehoods propagated by the opposition parties.
The Vice President also urged attendees including members of the Federal Executive Council, the Governor of the Central Bank, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, heads of government agencies and parastatals, as well as heads of government media organisations, including the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace to continue serving as strong advocates of the administration’s reform agenda.