From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Southern caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed support for the four tax reform bills recently transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
The chairman of the caucus, Nicholas Mutu, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja. He stated that Southern lawmakers had met over the bills and expressed their endorsement of them.
The bills, which aim to reform tax administration in the country, have sparked controversies, with state governors and Northern leaders opposing them.
The proposed legislation includes the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024, and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024.
Meanwhile, deliberations on the bills in the Green Chamber have been temporarily suspended by the House leadership to allow for further consultations.
Despite the controversies, Mutu noted that the Southern caucus remains open to dialogue on the proposed legislations.
He said: “The Southern caucus of the House of Representatives has met. We welcome the bills, and we are open to dialogue.”
Mutu described the proposed legislation as people-oriented and beneficial to the country. He added that the House would address any missing elements in the bills at the appropriate time.
“We are open to dialogue. And at the right time, we will capture the people elements that are missing in the bill. The bill is good for Nigeria, and it is a people-oriented bill. And we are happy to have the bill,” he said.