Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the National Assembly to ensure the contents of the tax reform bills align with the interests of Nigerians.

The Senate recently passed the tax reform bills sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu for a second reading, while the House of Representatives is expected to hold a debate on the bills on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

Atiku, in a statement on Sunday, December 1, called for objectivity and transparency in the National Assembly’s review of the bills.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election stated: “I have followed the intense public discourse on the Tax Reform Bills with keen interest.

“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. As a concerned stakeholder, I firmly believe that transparency and objectivity are essential for promoting accountability, good governance, and public trust in policy-making.

“The public hearing process must facilitate open and inclusive participation by all stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations, traditional institutions, politicians, public officials, and subject matter experts.

Presidency: Why Tinubu can’t withdraw tax reform bills from NASS

“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.”

The tax reform bills were transmitted to the Senate and House of Representatives by Tinubu on October 3 following the recommendations of the Taiwo Oyedele-led Tax Reforms Committee.

The move generated controversy with the Northern governors kicking against the tax reforms.

Reacting to the condemnations, the Presidency said the bills were not targeted at the North or other regions of the country but to develop the nation.

The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

Others include the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

The Star