Tax Reform Bills: Tinubu rejects Governors’ position, says Bills can be amended at NASS

President Bola Tinubu has called on Governors not to truncate the ongoing tax reform Bills currently before the National Assembly, adding that they should allow them to through the legislative processes, where amendments can be made.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, while reacting to the demands for the withdrawal of the Bills, said the President received the National Economic Council’s recommendation that the tax reform bills already sent to the National Assembly be withdrawn for further consultation.

He, however, noted that the process at the National Assembly provides better opportunities for their input without necessarily withdrawing the Bills.

According to Onanuga, “He (the President) believes that the legislative process, which has already begun, provides an opportunity for inputs and necessary changes without withdrawing the bills from the National Assembly.
President Tinubu commended the National Economic Council members, especially Vice President Kashim Shettima and the 36 State Governors, for their advice.

The President, while urging the NEC to allow the process to take its full course, welcomes further consultations and engagement with key stakeholders to address any reservations about the bills while the National Assembly considers them for passage.

“When President Tinubu set up the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform in August 2023, he had only one objective: to reposition the economy for better productivity and efficiency and make the operating environment for investment and businesses more conducive. This objective remains more critical even today than ever before.

He revealed that the committee worked for over a year and received inputs from various segments of society across the geopolitical zones, including trade associations, professional bodies, different Ministries and Government Agencies, Governors, traders, students, business owners, and the organised private sector.

He explained that the tax reform bills that emerged were distilled from the extensive work of the Presidential Committee.

“The tax bills before the National Assembly aim to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration processes, completely overhaul the nation’s tax operations, and align them with global best practices.

Presidency, while providing more highlights on the Bills, said the Nigeria Tax Bill seeks to eliminate multiple taxation and make Nigeria’s economy more competitive by simplifying tax obligations for businesses and individuals nationwide.

The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB), proposes new rules governing the administration of all taxes in the country. Its objective is to harmonise tax administrative processes across federal, state and local jurisdictions to ease taxpayers’ compliance and enhance the revenue for all tiers of government.

The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, on the other hand, along seeks to re-establish the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to better reflect its mandate as the revenue agency for the entire federation, not just the Federal Government.

Similarly, the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a Joint Revenue Board to replace the Joint Tax Board, covering federal and all state tax authorities.

“The fourth bill will also establish the Office of Tax Ombudsman under the Joint Revenue Board, protecting taxpayers’ interests and facilitating dispute resolution.

“The bills’ overarching objective is to effectively coordinate federal, state, and local tax authorities, thereby eliminating the overlapping responsibilities, confusion, and inefficiency that have plagued tax administration in Nigeria for decades.

He explained that under the existing laws, taxes like Company Income Tax (CIT), Personal Income Tax (PIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT), Tertiary Education Tax (TET), Value-Added Tax (VAT), and other taxing provisions in numerous laws are administered separately, with individual legislative frameworks.

“The proposed reforms seek to consolidate these numerous taxes, integrating CIT, PIT, CGT, VAT, PPT, and excise duties into a unified structure to reduce administrative fragmentation.

“While there may be differences in approach or specific provisions of the new tax bills, what is not in contention is the need to review our tax laws and how we administer them to serve our overall national development agenda.

He assured that ” President Tinubu will continue to respect and welcome the advice and recommendations of the National Economic Council, an essential constitutional organ of government on economic matters”.