•Nigerian governors
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has said that it is wrong to say that governors of the 36 states are against the Tax Reform Bills, explaining that they only wanted to get clarifications in some areas.
Speaking during Channels Television yesterday, the governor hailed the bills but stated that there are questions that needed answers.
“The issue of increasing the VAT from 20 per cent to 60 per cent at the point of generation, and I am happy that Taiwo said it has now changed not just at the point of generation but also consumption, that is fine.
“Those were some of the issues mentioned by the governors. The governors said, you know what, why don’t you withdraw the bills, let us discuss it, let us understand it,” Governor Sule said.
He said that the Townhall meeting which was organised by Channels Television is part of events that should have happened before the bills were sent to the National Assembly.
According to him, if some of these steps were taken by the Taiwo Oyedele’s Tax Reform Committee and things were properly explained, there won’t have been any call to withdraw the bills which is the point the governors were making.
Responding, Oyedele thanked Governor Sule and the Governor’s Forum for their feedback which he said he takes seriously, explaining that calling for series of meetings with the governors would have delayed the bills.
The tax reform committee chair noted that the committee tried to engage Nigerians on the bills, but people did not show much interest.
He, however, said that the committee is ready to repeat some of the processes and explain things further now that it seems like people have become interested in the bills.
The proposed Tax Reform Bills have generated a lot of controversies since its introduction at the National Assembly. It has been met with serious resistance especially from the Northern part of the country.
Following the controversies these bills have generated, the National Economic Council had advised President Bola Tinubu to withdrawal the bills to allow for further consultations but he had refused and said that the bills should go through the necessary legislative processes.
Last week, the bills were passed at the Senate for second reading through voice votes.
The proposed legislation seeks to harmonize, coordinate, and resolve disputes arising from revenue administration in Nigeria.
