Mohammed Idris: Tinubu has directed justice ministry to address concerns about tax reform bills

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says President Bola Tinubu has directed the federal ministry of justice to work with the national assembly to address concerns about tax reform bills.

Idris said in a statement on Tuesday that Tinubu is committed to tax accountability.

He said the development is the very “essence and meaning of democracy,” describing the debates generated by the bills as “welcomed and commendable”.

“I call on all commentators and groups to keep up the spirit of informed engagement and to strive to be respectful and understanding at all times despite the diversity of opinions,” the minister said.

“In the spirit of democratic engagement, there should be no room for name-calling or for the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into this important national conversation.

“Similarly, it is important to be aware that there is a lot of misinformation and fake news circulating around the tax bills and the overall reform agenda of the Tinubu administration.

“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.

“Instead, they will 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.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing an ambitious fiscal reform agenda that will devolve more resources to Nigeria’s state and local governments, and ultimately to the Nigerian people, in the spirit of harnessing democracy that works for the people.

“It is pertinent to state that the government has nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed. In line with the established legislative procedure, the federal government welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill.

“In this vein, 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.

“We are indeed witnessing, at this moment in the history of Nigeria, the most far-reaching, impactful, and beneficial set of fiscal reforms that Nigeria has seen in decades.

“In addition to the four tax bills being debated and deliberated upon, there is also the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments, which will significantly empower the tier of government that is closest to the Nigerian people.

“In all, these reforms will not only facilitate increased revenues (without imposing additional tax burdens on the people), they will also make it possible for citizens to demand and enjoy greater accountability in the management of public resources at all levels of government.”

Idris reiterated that the Tinubu administration will continue to champion policies that close the loopholes and gaps through which Nigeria’s public resources have been frittered away for decades.

BACKGROUND

On October 3, President Tinubu asked the national assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills.

The proposed laws include the Nigeria tax bill, the tax administration bill, and the joint revenue board establishment bill.

The president is also seeking to repeal the law establishing the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and replace it with the Nigeria Revenue Service.

The bills have elicited mixed reactions, with some stakeholders from the north opposed to their passage.

Reacting to the development, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), representing 19 northern states, collectively opposed the proposed bills, following a joint meeting with the northern traditional rulers council at the Kaduna government house on October 28.

The governors asked the national assembly to reject any legislation that may harm the region’s interests, calling for equitable and fair implementation of national policies and programmes to prevent marginalisation of any geopolitical zone.

On October 31, the presidency assured the Northern governors that the proposed laws were not recommended by Tinubu to shortchange any part of the country.