Tax Bills: South-east senators to consult governors, constituents, others

Senators from the South-east region of the country have resolved to consult with their state governments before making a final decision on the tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly.

Under the aegis of the South-east Senators’ Forum, the senators said they would consult with their constituents and other relevant people in the zone on the issue.

Leader of the caucus, Eyinanaya Abaribe, disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting at the National Assembly, Abuja.

On 3 October, President Bola Tinubu transmitted four tax bills to the National Assembly for consideration.

The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

However, criticisms have trailed the bills in certain quarters, with some comments assuming ethnic and sectional dimensions.

To address the concerns, the Senate constituted a committee to liaise with a federal government delegation headed by Lateef Fagbemi, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.

The two parties were supposed to meet last Thursday but have yet to do so because Mr Fagbemi was out of the country.

Mr Abaribe said though the South-east senators are supporting the proposed tax bills, they still need to consult widely with governors and constituents.

“As much as the entire senators from South-east are not against the Tax Reform Bills before both chambers of the National Assembly for consideration, we want wider consultations to be carried out on them.

“Specifically, we need to consult with our constituents across the 15 senatorial districts in the zone with our state governments and other critical stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Abaribe, the senator for Abia South Senatorial District, noted that he and other senators from the South-east region have read the bill and are willing to share its benefits when passed to different stakeholders in their area.

“We have read through the bills and want to share our knowledge with other stakeholders from the South-east Zone for a much more equitable framework in the bills that would eventually be passed.

“We are not against the bills but need to consult with our people “, he stressed.

Last Thursday, senators from South-south said they supported the tax reforms regardless of the criticisms because they aimed to strengthen revenue and foster economic stability.

They also warned people opposing the tax reform bills to refrain from expressing regional, ethnic, or tribal sentiments when criticising them.