Increase In VAT Makes Raise Of NYSC Allowance Useless – NANS

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said that the significant increase in the monthly allowance of NYSC corps members from N19,800 to N33,000, will amount to nothing, due to increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).

NANS noted that the upward review of the monthly allowance is of no reasonable effect, due to increase in the prices of goods, phone calls and other services.

The students body spokesperson, Azeez Adeyemi, said on Tuesday, in a statement, urged the Federal Government to pay arrears of increment of other corps members who had served  since the signing of the new wage.

In his words, “The increase in VAT from about 5% to 7.7% takes its own toll on the significant effect of living conditions of workers and corps members, as consumers are now charged 12% more on most of the finished goods they purchase including phone calls and data.

“By virtue of this, the level of inflation since the implementation of N18,000 minimum wage, till the current battle for N30,000 minimum wage, has drastically outweighed the purchasing power of the masses.

“We see no significant difference between the N19,800 corps members’ allowance in 2012 and the N33,000 of 2020. We expect that our corps members should even earn more than they do by now.

“In this view, while we commend the necessity of the increment in corps members’ allowance, we give the salutation to the rank and file of Nigerian workers who keep fighting for befitting reward for their labour. To this end, we call on every Nigerian not to relent in the struggle for a better country that guarantees proper welfare of all.

“Also, we use this medium to call on the Federal Government to equally pay arrears of increment to the corps members who had served since the passing of the new minimum wage law.”

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