Strong indication emerged last week that the Senate is gearing up to look into the four tax reform bills forwarded to it and the House of Representatives by President Bola Tinubu about eight weeks ago.
However, despite time bidding tactics being adopted by the red chamber on consideration of the bill, President Tinubu based on feelers from both the Presidency and top management of the National Assembly , is set to present the 2025 budget this week.
Recall that President Tinubu had on Thursday , October 3, 2024 in separate letters, forwarded to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the tax reform bills for expeditious consideration and approval.
Aside reading the letters containing the requests at both chambers on the said date , further legislative actions on it ,have not been taken on it the Senate in form of first reading , second reading and public hearing for public discourse and inputs.
Though the red chamber made an attempt to set the bills on the required legislative trajectory by listing it on its Order Paper of Wednesday, October 30, 2024 for first reading but later stood it down along with other items for screening of seven new new Ministers recently appointed by President Tinubu .
Both Chambers a day after (Thursday, October 31, 2024 ) , embarked on three weeks recess which ended last week Tuesday ( 19th November, 2024) when they resumed.
Expectations that on resumption last week , the bills would be treated was however dashed in the Senate they were not listed on its Order Paper for first reading.
Findings made by Blueprint on the seeming cold feet being developed by the Senate on consideration of the bills, showed that antagonism against the bills particularly from the Northern part of the country , was the major reason.
Latest of such antagonisms, was made on Saturday in Abuja by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF).
NEF in a communique signed by Professor Ango Abdullahi, described the proposed reform as injurious to the North .
Professor Abdullahi in the communique said : “NEF seriously maintained that, in its present form, the Tax Reform Bill is conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged and it is a palpable threat to our unity and national cohesion.
“The Board-in-session, condemned in very strong terms, the conspicuous loss of voice on this burning issue by the overwhelming number of elected politicians in the National Assembly from the region” .
However based on responses gotten from some Senators contacted on the reform bills on Sunday , they will at appropriate time , made to pass through the required legislative processes.
One of the Senators confided in Blueprint reporter that required in house lobbying for easy consideration of the bills are being done at both chambers before presenting them through expected legislative processes .
The bills as separately read on the floor of both chambers specifically on Thursday, October 3, 2024 are (i) The Nigeria Tax Bill, which aims to eliminate unintended multiple taxation and make Nigeria’s economy more competitive by simplifying tax obligations for businesses and individuals nationwide.
(ii) The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB) , which proposes new rules governing the administration of all taxes in the country. Its objective is to harmonise tax administrative processes across federal, state and local jurisdictions for ease of compliance for taxpayers in all parts of the country.
(iii)The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which seeks to rename the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to better reflect the mandate of the Service as the revenue agency for the entire federation, not just the Federal Government.
(iv) The Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill , which proposes the creation of a Joint Revenue Board to replace the Joint Tax Board, covering federal and all states’ tax authorities,