By JESSICA DOGO

The Minister of State for Finance Designate, Dr Taiwo Oyedele has on Wednesday in Abuja, disclosed that no fewer than 12 states of the Federation have enacted the Tax Harmonisation Law.

Oyedele, who was appointed on Tuesday as Minister of State for Finance, spoke during the graduation ceremony of 5,900 young entrepreneurs trained by MTN Foundation on different modules of entrepreneurship, businesses and innovations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tax harmonisation law was recently introduced by the Federal Government as part of Tax Reforms in the country.

According to Oyedele, 13 other states have already tabled the law before their State Houses of Assembly for implementation, while others are in various stages of implementation of the reforms.

He said that President Bola Tinubu Tax Reforms were intended to ensure modernisation of the fiscal framework for businesses to strive and grow, protect vulnerable populations and reset fiscal economic transformation of the country.

Oyedele said States Tax Harmonisation Law aimed to eliminate nuisance taxes, prevent harassment of citizens under any guise, simplify taxes, protect citizens rights as tax payers and end unfair tax treatment.

He said that transparency, fiscal discipline and responsibility as well as accountability are key issues in any tax system.

Oyedele applauded MTN Foundation for being in the vanguard of promotion of entrepreneurship and innovations.

“The MTN Foundation has, through the Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs Training Initiative, provided training and working tools for over 15,000 young people since its inception.”

He said that the Foundation was building the economic backbone of the country through job creation, innovations and entrepreneurship.

Oyedele encouraged the graduating entrepreneurs to think big and take advantage of the opportunities abound in Nigeria as a country with extraordinary potentials.

He said that financial discipline, good record keeping, building trust in their brands and focus on values should be their watch-words in the journey ahead.

Earlier, the Chairman of the MTN Foundation, Mr Mosun Olusoga, represented by a Director of the Foundation, Mallam Surajudeen Yakubu, said the MTN ICT Business School Initiative had trained over 15,000 young entrepreneurs since its inception.

He said the foundation would provide about N300 million business grants to beneficiaries of the programme, adding that it is a way of contributing to the success of young innovators and entrepreneurs in the country.

Olusoga urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of the foundation, adding that the young Nigerians already empowered to build sustainable businesses would in turn provide job opportunities for Nigerians, create wealth and add values to the society. (NAN)

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