The South-East caucus in the Senate has given its nod to the four tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu, but with a caveat – wider consultations with stakeholders.
This decision was made known after a caucus meeting in Abuja on Monday, where the lawmakers resolved to engage with their constituents, state governments, and other critical stakeholders before giving their full backing to the bills.
According to Enyinnaya Abaribe, leader of the South-East caucus, “We need to consult with our constituents across the 15 senatorial districts in the zone… with our state governments and other critical stakeholders.”
Abaribe, who represents Abia South, emphasized that the caucus is not opposed to the bills but wants to ensure that the views of all stakeholders are taken into account.
The tax reform bills, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill 2024, Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, and Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024, have been a subject of controversy since President Tinubu forwarded them to the National Assembly in October.
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The bills have met stiff opposition from northern governors and some lawmakers, prompting the National Economic Council (NEC) to ask the President to withdraw them for further consultations.
However, the President has refused to withdraw the bills, which are now at the public hearing stage at the upper legislative chamber, having passed second reading. The South-East caucus’s decision to support the bills, albeit with reservations, is a significant development in the ongoing debate over the tax reform bills.
Orji Uzor Kalu, senator representing Abia North, echoed Abaribe’s sentiments, saying that the caucus agreed on the need for “extensive consultations with all major stakeholders.”
As the debate over the tax reform bills continues, it is clear that the South-East caucus’s support, albeit conditional, is a significant boost to the President’s efforts to reform the country’s tax system. However, the caucus’s insistence on wider consultations is a reminder that the bills must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny and debate before they can be passed into law.
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