Political economist and founder of the Centre of Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, has described agitations over the tax reform bills as misplaced, arguing that the focus should be on how taxes stimulate production.

Speaking with Sunday with Punch News, Utomi observed that the conversation on the tax reform bills had been on equity in collecting and sharing revenues in an economy that was not producing.

Drawing from history, he said reforms that allowed the increased flow of revenues to certain Nigerian groups rarely improved the lives or welfare of the average person. Still, he deepened corruption and desperation for political power.

Rather than “tax to kill to get money from Nigerians,” Utomi advocated for the specific use of taxation and tax reform, which would be supply-side economics-driven, thereby boosting production.

He explained that specific use taxation where tax on specific purchases was known to be directed to particular purposes, adding that those who made such contributions had to monitor the use of tax.

“Specific use tax is where the tax goes to a specific use and the users must monitor the use of that tax. For example, in the US, there is a gasoline tax, that is tax paid on petrol. Every litre of petrol you buy has a tax. That tax is dedicated to highway maintenance. It goes directly to a highway maintenance fund.

“I think we need to begin to ask ourselves what are the optimal points in taxation in our country, and careful about the other functions of social taxes, which we have, because we don’t have social safety nets in government.

“Our taxes should be incentives for moving away from consumption to production that will diversify the base and grow it. I think we should begin to focus more on retreating production. How do taxes stimulate production? The supply side needs to be king,” Utomi added.

______________________________________________________________________ “Bridging Theory And Courtroom Practice” — Hagler Sunny Okorie, Nathaniel Ngozi Ikeocha Unveil ‘Functional’ Tort Law Book For Nigerian Legal System The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209. ______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626

________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola _______________________________________________________________________