Lagos Assembly Passes VAT, Open Grazing Bills

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday passed the State’s Value Added Tax (VAT) bill and the bill that prohibits open cattle grazing in the state.

Naija News reports that the Speaker Mudashiru Obasa directed the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit a clean copy to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

The two bills were passed after unanimous votes by the lawmakers at the sitting where they were read the third time.

Immediately after their passage, Speaker Obasa commended his colleagues for their passion to see that the state continues grow.

“I Thank you all for this historic exercise,” Obasa said.

Recall that the House held separate public hearings on the bills on Wednesday with stakeholders expressing support.

The Lagos Assembly had on Monday read for the second time the bill on open grazing and the Value Added Tax bill.

The Assembly after the reading committed the bill on open grazing to the committee on agriculture, while the bill on VAT was sent to the committee on finance.

Obasa, had described the ‘Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill’ as timely and one that would ensure harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the southwest zone.

He also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.

“Allocating percel of land is not enough but there should be training of those who would go into ranching,” he said noting that ranching is expensive and required adequate preparation.

Concerning the bill on VAT, Speaker Obasa said it would lead to “increase in revenue and increase in infrastructural development. This is in line with fiscal federalism that we have been talking about.”

The Assembly speaker had said the VAT law when passed, would help the state meet challenges in its various sectors.

He also urged the Lagos State government to do everything legally possible to ensure the judgement of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, is sustained even up to the Supreme Court.

“It is an opportunity for us to emphasise again on the need for the consideration of true federalism,” he said.