- Safiu Kehinde
After months of debates and controversies, the four tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly in 2024 by President Bola Tinubu have scaled through second reading in the House of Representatives.
Comprising of the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, the reform bills were presented and read at the Green Chamber on Wednesday
President Tinubu had, last year, transmitted them to the National Assembly for consideration following the recommendations of the Taiwo Oyedele-led Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.
NPO reported that the provisions of the bills would spark national debates as it was met with mixed reactions and strong condemnation by northern lawmakers.
After much agitation, the bills would be suspended for further consultation.
Having scaled through second reading, the tax reform bills would now be subjected to a public hearing.
According to report, a lawmaker, Sada Soli, during the plenary, expressed concern that some sections of the new bills might contradict the 1999 constitution.
The issue of derivation, according to Soli, must be clearly defined to avoid any ambiguity.
He hoped that the committee saddled with the responsibility to scrutinise the bills would address the issues that might arise before the bills are passed.
In the same vein, other lawmakers called attention to the 40 acts which the bill sought to amend and requested that they should be laid before Parliament.
The lawmakers held that the issue of multiple taxation involving property purchase provided in the bill should be addressed, as the provision stated that the buyer and seller must pay tax.