The Presidency has slammed claims by some group especially from the northern Nigeria that the proposed tax reform bills currently been debated at the National Assembly would impoverish northern Nigeria or unreasonably benefit Lagos states. This was made known yesterday by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga who insisted that the reforms instead is aimed to improve the quality of life for all Nigerians, particularly the disadvantaged, and streamline tax administration to foster a better business environment.
This is coming from the heal where the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, while reacting to the Bill claimed that the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing model was strategise to favour Lagos and Rivers states.
However, Onanuga, described such claims as unfounded and based on misinformation masked with emotion.
His statement partly reads; “The tax reform bills will not make Lagos or Rivers states more affluent than others, nor will they impoverish any region,” calling on Nigerians to reject attempts to polarise the nation over the bills.
The presidency explained that the bills do not propose scrapping agencies like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), or the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as speculated in some quarters.
Instead, these agencies will continue to operate and receive funding through budgetary allocations, he added.
Onanuga added that the tax and fiscal policy reforms Bills are intended to simplify tax collection, alleviate the burden on businesses, and support national development.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has called on Northern leaders to approach the ongoing tax reform bills before the National Assembly with pragmatism rather than sentiments.
Dogara was speaking during a Channels Television town hall on the reforms in Abuja on Monday, where he emphasised the need for leadership that prioritises the region’s future development over ethnic or religious biases.
He said, “We Northern leaders should remove the cap of ethnicity and religious sentiments and put on the cap of leadership to face the reality, which the bills will bring”.
“How many people do they consult when making laws? Some state laws are written in the living rooms of governors,” he said, dismissing arguments that the bills’ popularity is more important than its impact.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, , clarified that the bills instead is aim to empower subnational governments to enhance revenue generation and achieve self-sufficiency.
