The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform, Taiwo Oyedele, has denied allegations that the committee failed to consult with state governors before finalizing the tax reform bill.
Oyedele emphasized that the committee had engaged in extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including governors, finance commissioners, and internal revenue services from all 36 states.
He acknowledged that while some governors may not have been available for consultation, the committee had made efforts to reach out to them.
The tax reform bill, which aims to simplify tax obligations and improve revenue collection, has faced opposition from some governors who claim that it may harm the economic interests of their states.
Oyedele, who appeared on Arise Television yesterday, revealed that the governors themselves had canceled four scheduled meetings with the committee.
Persecondnews recalls that Buba Galadima, an elder statesman and northern politician, recently appeared on a television programme hosted by Dr. Reuben Abati, where he expressed strong reservations about the tax reform bills, arguing that they disproportionately favour Ogun and Lagos states while neglecting others.
Galadima criticized the Oyedele-led committee for its limited stakeholder engagement, specifically highlighting its failure to meet with governors from other states, except for Lagos.
Setting the records straight, Oyedele countered Galadima’s allegations, saying: “We have more than 20 government institutions represented. We have the private sector, whether it’s manufacturers, whether it’s women in business. We have 45 students from 22 universities across Nigeria.
“In addition to that, we had extensive engagement with the governors. I went to the governors’ forum. We wrote and wanted to meet with six governors, one from each of the six geopolitical zones. Up until this moment, it’s only the governor of Lagos state we were able to see.
“The other governor who was willing to welcome us was the governor of Kaduna state. And after all the logistics, we agreed on the date, on that day he wasn’t able to attend. It was the deputy governor that hosted us. I will not name the other governors, but I can actually if I need to. They didn’t have time for us.
“The governors’ forum themselves invited us four times and canceled four times. The fifth time, we were kept waiting until 1:30 a.m., in the middle of the night. By the time they had time for us, they said we had 15 minutes.
“And I said, Your Excellencies, we have a lot to talk about. They said, tell us how our revenues will go up. Even that, we couldn’t say in 15 minutes.
“We had a half-day engagement with the finance commissioners from across Nigeria. We have had more than four engagements with the heads of the Internal Revenue Service(IRS) from all over Nigeria.
“We have had engagements with different groups, more than 40 sectors, from manufacturers to SMEs to FinTech. And these things were published.”
Oyedele disclosed that the committee has held extensive consultations, meeting with over 120 northern clerics and regularly engaging with prominent northern groups, such as the League of Northern Democrats.
He said: “I will tell you that we had an interesting meeting with the Ulamas. They are the clerics, mostly from the north. There were over 120.
“We had to explain everything to them. And many of them, when we were done, were praying for the work we had done because there was a lot of misinformation previously.
“We had meetings also with some sections of the north. I was with the League of Northern Democrats. So if they call me today, most times I get less than a 24-hour notice. I have to fly around to go to different places. So we are happy to discuss. We are willing to discuss.”
The tax reform bills introduced by the Bola Tinubu-led government have sparked intense nationwide debates, with the northern region expressing strong opposition, particularly concerning the proposed VAT revenue-sharing formula and its potential to exacerbate economic disparities among states.
The bills aims to overhaul Nigeria’s tax collection and administration systems, paving the way for a more equitable and efficient taxation model.
The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.
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