President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Ministry of Justice to collaborate with the National Assembly to address concerns raised over the proposed tax reform bills.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday titled: "President Tinubu Committed to Accountability on Tax Bills, Directs Ministry of Justice to Work with NASS on Concerns."
"In line with established legislative procedure, the Federal Government welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill," Idris stated.
He added: "President Tinubu has already directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and relevant officials who worked on the drafts to work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that all genuine concerns have been addressed before the bills are passed."
The tax reform bills, approved by the Federal Executive Council in October, include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill. These bills aim to consolidate existing tax laws, enhance tax administration frameworks, and establish bodies such as the Tax Appeal Tribunal and the Office of the Tax Ombudsman.
The Presidency has defended the reforms, dismissing claims that they disproportionately favour certain regions. A statement issued on Monday noted that many reactions to the bills "are not grounded in facts, reality, or sufficient knowledge of the bills."
It emphasised that the reforms will not enrich Lagos or Rivers states at the expense of northern states. "The fiscal reforms will not impoverish any state or region of the country, nor will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agencies," Idris asserted.
Addressing misinformation about the bills, Idris urged all stakeholders to maintain a spirit of informed and respectful engagement. He said: "There should be no room for name-calling or the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into this important national conversation."
The Federal Government welcomed nationwide debate on the proposed reforms, stating: "This is the very essence and meaning of democracy." It argued that the bills would "bring relief to tens of millions of hardworking Nigerians across the country and empower and position our states and the 774 local governments for sustainable growth and development."
The reforms, coupled with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments, are expected to empower the tier of government closest to the people and facilitate increased revenue without imposing additional tax burdens.
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The statement underscored that the administration aims to invest the resources conserved and generated from these reforms into critical infrastructure, such as healthcare, education, transportation, and digital technology, as well as social programmes to ensure no Nigerian is left behind.
"President Tinubu and the administration will continue to champion policies that close loopholes and gaps through which Nigeria's valuable public resources have been frittered away for decades," the statement read. "This is the promise and the reality of the Renewed Hope agenda."
