From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The League of Northern Democrats (LND), led by former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has constituted a technical committee to review the four tax reform bills before the National Assembly.
The group, in a statement by its spokesman, Ladan Salihu, said the committee, which consists of experts in law, public accounting, legislation and academia, from the North, will critically review the bills in one week, to enable it to an informed decision on the proposed legislation.
According to the group, “their mandate includes identifying provisions that may be injurious or inequitable, proposing necessary amendments, and ensuring that each clause of the bills upholds the constitutional, religious and cultural norms of our people, while promoting national unity and fairness.”
President Bola Tinubu, last month transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly. The bills, which have been trailed by controversy are 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.
Already state governors, as well as northern elders have kicked against the bills. Regardless, while it has passed second reading in Senate, the House of Representatives is yet to debate the general principles of the bills.
On Tuesday, President Tinubu directed Ministry of Justice to liase with the National Assembly to address contentious clauses in the proposed legislations.
Nevertheless, the LND said it is interested in ensuring that “laws reflect the principles of justice, equity and prosperity for all Nigerians, with the sole intent to safeguarding the developmental interests of our peoples.”
The group noted that the Technical Committee “at the conclusion of its assignment, the committee will publicly present its findings in an electronic and tabular format, effectively communicating its recommendations to policymakers, legislators, the media and the Nigerian public.”
It added “The LND assures the public of our confidence in the committee’s ability to produce thorough and well-reasoned recommendations. These will aim to maximize benefits for all Nigerians, ensuring that the tax reforms support sustainable development and equitable economic growth across the nation.”