The National Economic Council (NEC) has advised President Bola Tinubu to withdraw forthwith the National Tax Reform Bills before the National Assembly to allow for more consultations.
Briefing newsmen on Thursday at the end of the 144th monthly meeting of the NEC held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde said NEC members agreed that it was necessary to allow for consensus building and understanding of the bill among Nigerians before presenting it to the legislative arm for passage.
He said, “The Council acknowledged that the country is underperforming on all indices as regards huge deductions from major revenue sources, also tax to GDP ratio and so on.
“So after extensive deliberation, NEC noted the need for sufficient alignment between and among the stakeholders for the proposed reforms.
“So Council therefore recommends the need to withdraw the bill currently before the National Assembly on tax reforms so that we can have wider consultations and also build consensus around these reforms for the benefit of the entire country, and also to give people, for them to know the vision and where we are moving the country in terms of a tax reform, because there’s really a lot of miscommunication, misinformation.
“So, the bill should be withdrawn from the National Assembly, and then there will be consultations afterwards”.
The decision of the NEC is coming two days after the Northern Governors forum kicked against the reform bill and counter explanation by the presidency that the bill was not against the North.
Governors of the of 19 states under the aegis of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), had at their meeting on Monday, October 28, rejected the proposed Tax amendment Bill, saying it is against the interest of the region.
The governors, in a communique issued at the end of the meeting,
“unanimously rejects the proposed tax amendments and calls on members of the National Assembly to oppose any bill that can jeopardise the well-being of our people.”
