The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on the Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Federal Government to harmonize taxes and address the issue of multiple taxation in order to reduce the rising number of business collapses across in Nigeria.
The bishops made this appeal in a communique issued at the end of their week-long second Plenary Meeting, held in the Auchi Diocese, Edo State.
According to the CBCN, the complex tax system and excessive levies imposed on businesses are contributing significantly to the economic hardship faced by Nigerians. They urged the government to streamline and harmonize taxes to create a more favorable environment for businesses, especially Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), to thrive and encourage investment.
The bishops also called on the government to release all detained protesters, emphasizing the importance of upholding the constitutional right to peaceful protest. They condemned the use of violence by some protesters but also expressed deep concern over the killing of citizens by security operatives during demonstrations.
The CBCN urged the government to address the underlying issues that lead to protests and to consider economic reforms that would alleviate the widespread hardship in the country.
According to the clerics, Nigerians were currently groaning under the hardship fueled by high electricity tariffs, high cost of petroleum products, transportation and medicare as well as poor lack of basic infrastructure, seeking for a radical change of heart from a political ideology that promotes arbitrary use of power for self-enrichment to politics as service and solidarity with the people.
In addition, the bishops declared 2024 as the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025. They stressed the need for prayer to be accompanied by action and a collective effort towards repentance and positive change at all levels of society.
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The CBCN also expressed concern over certain practices during liturgical celebrations, such as excessively long services, excessive monetary collections, lack of silence and decorum, and alterations to sacramental words and elements. They called for vigilance to ensure that liturgy is celebrated according to approved norms.
The communique concluded with a call for all Nigerians to observe the Year of Prayer, fast sincerely for the nation, and commit the country to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria.
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