The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Teslim Folarin, yesterday, kicked against against the plan by the federal government to increase Value Added Tax (VAT).
The senator insisted that what the government needs to do first is to provide enabling environment to make businesses thrive in the country.
Speaking to newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday on the 2020 budget, he said the present National Assembly would work assiduously to stick to the January to December life span of the budget if the appropriation bill is presented to the members on time.
The former Senate Leader, who spoke with said as soon as the 2020 Appropriation Bill is presented to the National Assembly, the Senate would begin work on it, stating that it would be passed before it goes on Christmas recess.
“The Senate President has continued to say that the present Senate would work for the people and it is in this direction that the National Assembly owes Nigerians a duty to pass the 2020 Appropriation Bill before we go on Christmas recess as the executive has promised to send it before the end of this month,” he said.
He added that both the executive and the National Assembly would work together to ease the burden of the masses, by creating enabling environment for small and medium businesses to thrive.
He expressed optimism that after the completion of the Mambila hydro power plant the issue of epileptic power supply would be a thing of the past.
Speaking on security, Folarin said the Red Chamber under the leadership of Senator Ahmad Lawan, is worried over insecurity across the country and that the lawmakers would do everything possible to address the situation. “The issue of insecurity is a serious concern to all of us at the National Assembly and it is a top priority on our agenda.
“I want to say here that something is wrong somewhere, we could recall that during the electioneering process, there was no single attack from anywhere but immediately after the election, the attacks resurfaced.
‘‘I will appeal to all necessary quarters as the situation calls for investigation and anyone found wanting should be brought to book. What we would do at the National Assembly is to provide enabling environment by making funds available to all security agencies.
‘‘The 8th National Assembly convened security summit, and what we would do is to avoid repetition. We would just dust their report and do what is necessary and expected of us.”
