President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has once again reassured Nigerians that the proposed tax reform bills before both chambers of the National Assembly are not skewed against any section of the country.
The Senator representing Niger East and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sani Musa, restated President Tinubu’s assurance on Monday while speaking at the public hearings on the contentious bills.
The bills, which have since scaled the second reading in both chambers, include:
(i) The Nigeria Tax Bill 2024,
(ii) The Nigerian Tax Administration Bill 2024,
(iii) The Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill 2024, and
(iv) The Joint Revenue Board Bill 2024.
Senator Musa, who revealed details of his discussion with President Tinubu during a meeting at the Presidential Villa, said the President only asked the Parliament to provide him with workable and effective legislation.
He said:”I met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) two days ago regarding the tax reform bills, and he told me: ‘Mr. Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, go and do the needful.
“Give me a law that is workable from the tax reform bills I forwarded to the Senate and the House of Representatives in October last year.’
“That request by Mr. President came at a very auspicious time during this public hearing on the tax reform bills, which are not meant to add a burden to any section of the country or give undue advantage to any region.”
Indications at the public hearing on Monday revealed that the Presidency has secured the buy-in of stakeholders, particularly from the North.
At the session, held at the National Assembly complex, the Convener of the Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, debunked the insinuation that the Northern part of the country was against the proposed laws.
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He told the gathering: “It is not true that the North is against the tax reform bills. We have seen the benefits and have sensitized our people in the North about them.”
A representative of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, Professor Mohammed Bello Dogarawa, also spoke in favor of the bills.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, emphasized that the bills are necessary to stimulate economic growth and development.
He said, “There is a need now for this all-important reform as part of Mr. President’s economic agenda. It is a bold step—another bold step—because we are all privy to the reforms that have been made over the last 20 months or so.
“We can all see the progress being made—the economy growing, foreign reserves increasing, inflation stabilizing, and the budget deficit being brought under control, particularly with regard to food prices.
“The objective of these reforms is that as the economy grows, we must modernize our tax laws, enhance compliance, broaden the tax base, and create an environment that fosters investment and job creation. These reforms will create equity, efficiency, and economic growth. Today, we are here to receive feedback from stakeholders and the public at large. The purpose of this sitting is to ensure that all views are heard and that all stakeholders are carried along.”
In his submission, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, stated that the entire oil and gas industry supports the reform.
He said: “The proposed tax reform bills are, in our view at NNPCL, a necessary enhancement for economic growth through a more efficient and effective tax collection mechanism.
“As the largest taxpayer in Nigeria, NNPCL has studied the reform bills and found the proposals to be reasonable and necessary.”
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Shehu, who had earlier expressed strong reservations about the proposed legislation, also surprised the gathering by speaking warmly about its desirability.
He said: “RMAFC supports the proposed tax reforms but seeks adjustments in the area of Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution to subnationals.
“We hope that the proposed reforms will address the issue of endless revenue remittance reconciliations with NNPCL and other entities.”
The Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Victor Muruako, also supported the proposed reform bills, noting that they align with the spirit and letter of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007.
Earlier, in his remarks before declaring the public hearing open, the President of the Senate stated:
“The challenge before us transcends the simple act of passing new laws; it is about constructing a tax system that inspires confidence, promotes development, and fuels national growth.
“We cannot afford to be fragmented in our approach to revenue generation. Instead, we must come together—Federal, State, and Local Governments, alongside the private sector and civil society—to create a tax system that truly works for all.”
The critical interface continues on Tuesday, with the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso, and the Comptroller-Generals of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Wale Adeniyi, and the Nigeria Immigration Service, among others, expected to present their agencies’ positions.
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