Despite condemnation across Nigera that the Buhari government’s promise of stipend payment to unemployed graduates has not been fulfilled, Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, insists the money is being paid.
She however did not state whether the supposed receivers get the money monthly or annually.
Adeosun spoke on Friday in Abuja while receiving a Progress Report by the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee on tax law reforms.
She said that the government was laying emphasis on tax because it was the only reliable source of revenue to achieve its developmental goals.
“I want to underscore that this government led by Muhammadu Buhari, came in at a time when oil price was as low as 28 dollars per barrel.
“This led us in search of a revenue base that is sustainable, predictable and can deliver development and succour to the masses.
“One of the functions of the tax system, which many people overlook, is that it is the most reliable tool for government to use to redistribute wealth from rich to poor.
“Many of the programmes we are undertaking will do exactly that, whether it is fixing our roads, or our social interventions like N5, 000 Conditional Cash Transfer to the poorest.
“There is also the N30,000 to some of our unemployed graduates or the school feeding programme.
“These are all methods of redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor and that is one of the functions of a good tax system,” Adeosun added.
DP
