President Bola Tinubu has said Nigerians want well-equipped hospitals but do not want to pay tax, while some want good roads but do not want the construction to go through their property.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that Tinubu made this known while speaking at the just-concluded Africa CEO Forum on Friday in Kigali, Rwanda.
Tinubu highlighted the need for Nigerians to pay their taxes so the government can meet infrastructure development demands.
He said, “Nobody wants to pay taxes. Taxation is not friendly to the wealthy, middle class, and to the poor.
“Every human being expects development, but the question they don’t answer is how do you pay for it. You want a good highway, but you don’t want it to go through your land.
“You want good and well-equipped hospital, and you don’t want to pay taxes, how do we care for the vulnerable, and how do you protect the future of the children. How do you even research and develop? The pharmaceutical industry, we remember COVID-19; we remember what happened to the world at large.
“So in the world where you can’t predict what exactly you are doing, you must think from where the source and application of funds should be engineered.
“Tax is a priority. A citizen who pays tax is a citizen, whether corporate or individual. If you are not a taxpayer and not exempted, then you are not a citizen.”