Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has declared that the House has not taken any position on the tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu for consideration and passage.
The bills namely; the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill had stirred some controversies.
However, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has offered clarifications that the proposed tax reform laws were meant to correct the noted lapses in the extant tax laws, and not to undermine any region of the country as being erroneously perceived.
“There is no negative thinking about any region or anything,” he said.
Abbas while declaring open an interactive session on the proposed Bills on Monday, said it was critical to listen to diverse perspectives, ask probing questions, and seek clarity on any unclear provisions.
On the need for the session, he said, “It is designed to deepen our appreciation of their provisions, commence constructive dialogue on contentious or controversial areas, and build the consensus necessary to produce versions of the bills that align with the interests of the executive, the legislature, sub-national governments, and the Nigerian people.
“Importantly, this session will help us identify areas needing amendment, clarification, or improvement and consider the compatibility of these bills with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and other extant laws.
“Yet, Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest economy, struggles with a tax-to-GDP ratio of just six per cent—far below the global average and the World Bank’s minimum benchmark of 15 percent for sustainable development”.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, also in his remarks said “It is crucial for these provisions to be articulated clearly, highlighting how they align with the overarching goal of engendering equity, driving economic growth, and ensuring that no section of society is left behind”.
Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zack Adedeji said the agency was awaiting the outcome of the bills, as according to him, the responsibility of the FIRS was to implement policies and laws passed by the National Assembly.
Similarly, Leader Northern Caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has said lawmakers from the region would see that national interest takes precedence in consideration of the four tax reform bills before the parliament.
Doguwa, who spoke to journalists at the tax reform interaction organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Monday, also assured that they will not rush the process but do justice to the bills and people of Nigeria by studying them carefully and diligently before passage.
“These proposed bills are obviously to do with fiscal federalism as it relates to sharing of resources, to federating units and key government institutions.
“We must, therefore, be careful to study the bills diligently and consider them clause by clause with a view to making justice to the people and justice to the bills, in the overall interest of the people and national interest.
“We will certainly NOT rush the passage of these bills in order to avoid making hasty legislation or laws that would at the end not be able address our practical economic realities as a nation”, the lawmaker said.
Continuing, he said, “National interest will be the key word. It will be the watchword and I believe all of us will be guided by national interest. The government itself, I want to believe, has good intentions. So, we will look at those intentions and see how we can educate and enlighten our people and at the end of the day, the law will be for the good of the people.
“We must commend in the first place the wisdom of the leadership of the House for coming up with this interactive session to further enlighten and clarify the contents and intentions of the proposed tax reforms bills.”