Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has advised the National Assembly to be open in it’s proceedings over the lingering controversial Tax Reforms bill before it.
Atiku called for transparency in the process adding that any bill that will affect the economic wellbeing of the citizens should be open.
Saying he has followed the debate with keen interest, Atiku said Nigerians are united in their call for a fiscal system that promotes justice, fairness, and equity.
Advising the lawmakers, he said “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.”
He said comments on the ongoing tax reforms have shown that Nigerians 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.”
Atiku called for objectivity and transparency in the conduct of the public hearing being organised by 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,” Atiku said
He called on the lawmakers to revisit and make public the resolutions of the National Economic Council which he called 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.