Banigo committed to protect SSB tax bill from naysayers

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare, Senator Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, has reiterated her commitment to ensuring that the National Assembly harmonises the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) Tax Bill within the shortest possible time for presidential assent.

The Senate recently passed the SSB Tax Bill, which she personally sponsored, but it is awaiting harmonisation with the House of Representatives.

Senator Banigo, who made the pledge on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving a coalition of civil society organisations in her office, said the bill is intended to support the already fragile health sector and help address the adverse effects of non-communicable diseases.

“I am happy you are asking me to add more effort and more voice to what has happened already. And to assure you of my readiness, I’m quite in line with my professional background.

“Even as a practicing medical professional, I always make sure that the issue of primary health care within my line of duty is addressed extensively. So the propagation of health financing is a challenge and a job that must be done to check the adverse effects of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB).”

Further admonishing the coalition, she acknowledged the difficulties in winning the battle against naysayers, adding, “I must tell you to get ready because it won’t be that easy. A lot of issues of interest will come in between. But despite the interests of naysayers, we were able to push harder through before the Senate passed the primary health care bill.”

Senator Banigo further emphasised the need for more voices to ensure that the bill is achieved, as is done in other nations of the world.

She, however, added that broader partnership is important to ensure the passage of the SSB Tax Bill in Nigeria and to boost revenue generation for the Federal Government.

Earlier, speaking on behalf of the coalition on the SSB Tax Bill, Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi appealed to the senator to use her office to engage the leadership of the National Assembly and other key senior parliamentarians to ensure that the House of Representatives passes its own version of the bill and harmonises it with that of the Senate for easy assent by the President.

Oluwafemi explained that the visit by the coalition was to seek greater support from the office of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare for the passage of the bill.

“Like Oliver Twist, we can’t stop asking for more efforts from you and your colleagues and to ensure that Nigeria gets it right for once.”

More than 80 civil society organisations are currently involved in the campaign for the SSB Tax Bill in Nigeria.