Group lauds Buhari for signing new minimum wage bill into law, cautions against VAT increment

Southern Nigeria Peoples Mandate (SNPM) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the New Minimum Wage Bill into Law.

The President, on Thursday, signed into law the Minimum Wage Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2019 which sets the minimum wage for workers in the country at N30,000.

Augustine Chukwudum, the President of the group, in a statement in Enugu while commending the development, warned against an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT)

He said “SNPM wishes to commend President Buhari for signing the New Minimum Wage Bill into Law.

READ ALSO: Buhari endorses N30,000 as minimum wage, signs bill into law

“We are also demanding that Buhari should work hard on the economy to see the reduction in Naira exchange to dollar to maximum of Nl50 to one dollar.

“By so doing, the government will reduce the high cost of goods and living to the barest minimum.

“This is our expectations from government while increasing workers salary,’’ he said.

Speaking on the likelihood of an increase in VAT, Chukwudum, called on the President to ignore his ministers and aides who were clamouring for the increment.

“These set of people do not mean well for the suffering masses that are going through hell, to get their daily bread. This is the time for government to listen to the masses and meet their needs,’’ he added.

The Senate had on March 19, approved N30, 000 as the new national minimum wage with an appeal to the Federal Government to expedite action on its assent and implementation.

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