IFA wants 5 percent disability quota as incentives through act of parliament 

The Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) has urged on policy markers particularly the National Assembly members to commit to a champion tax rebate for employers complying with the 5% disability quota as incentives through an act of parliament.

The Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), Grace Jerry in a press release said the inclusive governance is imperative to actualizing the dividends of democracy. 

She however noted that previous advocacy efforts on political and governance issues have not yielded the desired results. In particular, policymakers have not implemented policies advocated for by advocates that would meaningfully impact their lives. 

She said the executive or legislators should sign the National Trust Fund Act into law and fully implement it by the already existing Nigeria Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPWD).

According to her,  the presidency of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFRN, therefore, presents a window of opportunity to change this narrative and work towards improving the rights of the over 30 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria.

“It is in this regard that we believe Your Excellency will find the following recommendations of the Governance Agenda for an Inclusive Nigeria (GAIN).

” The President and state governments should commit to affirmative action to ensure at least 10% of all political appointments are reserved for qualified persons with disability. 

“The President should commit to influencing the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to develop and implement a special disability social protection scheme to cover out-of-pocket expenses on health by persons with disabilities.

“Through an executive order (temporarily) and then through the finance bill (permanently), import duties should be waived on the importation of assistive devices for persons with disability, thereby making it affordable,” she said.