Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has called on the National Assembly to ensure that the tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu align with Nigeria’s primary objective and the interest of the citizens.
Atiku who penned his thoughts on the controversial bills on Sunday said he has been following the debate on the bills and said fiscal reform must not deform the citizens or be a demerit to a section of the country.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party took the line from the ongoing point of argument from some northern political leaders including Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum and Ali Ndume, a senator from Borno who have vowed to mobilise northerners against the bills.
Curiously, Zulum, a ranking member of the ruling All Progressives Congress specifically accused President Tinubu of trying to deny the North their dues for the benefit of Lagos during his BBC interview.
In context though, northern governors who are not only under the APC but also in the PDP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have also kicked against the bills before the National Assembly.
Zulum and his kinsman, Ndume are only exemplifying northern voices, which Atiku has bought into – the narrative that the tax reform bills are mostly for the benefit of Lagos and to expand its economy and the south to some extent.
The bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024- SB.584; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586. They have passed second reading in the National Assembly.
The Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.
Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.
At the heart of the debate is the proposed shift to a derivation-based model for Value Added Tax distribution, which would allocate tax revenue to the states where goods and services are consumed, rather than where companies have their headquarters.
Atiku however said, “Nigerians are united in their call for a fiscal system that promotes justice, fairness, and equity.
“They are loud and clear that the fiscal system we seek to promote must not exacerbate the uneven development of the federating units by enhancing the status of a few states while unduly penalising others.
“I call for objectivity and transparency in the conduct of the public hearing being organised by our representatives in the National Assembly.”
He said as a concerned stakeholder, he firmly believes that transparency and objectivity are essential for promoting accountability, good governance, and public trust in policy-making.
The public hearing process, he said , must facilitate open and inclusive participation by all stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations, traditional institutions, politicians, public officials, and subject matter experts.
“In this wise, I call on the NASS to revisit and make public the resolutions of the National Economic Council, a key stakeholder and an important organ of the state with the constitutional power to advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation.
“The NASS must be appropriately guided and ensure that in the final analysis, the contents of the Bills align with the interests of the vast majority of Nigerians,” Atiku said.
