State governors still divided over Tax Reforms Bills

The first indication that the meeting would be a deadlock was when some of the governors did not come to the venue at 10 p.m., even when the meetings were held at Asokoro.

There were reports at to 9p.m that the meeting would not hold because it may lead to an exchange of words because of differences with regard to the tax bills.

It became clear that the meeting would hold when two governors arrived, followed by a bus with the inscription, Imo Liaison office, Abuja that brought the Chairman of Progressives Governors and Imo State Governor, Uzodimma, along side some of his colleagues from the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Vanguard gathered that the APC governors came in a group because they had earlier met with the Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, just as they were said to have been summoned by President Tinubu as they rushed to the villa for the meeting. It was, thereafter, that they came for the short meeting.

Present at the meeting were 15 governors mostly of the APC, Governors Alex Otti of Abia State and Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, governor of Plateau State of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, among others were also in attendance.

Vanguard also gathered that the governors towed their regional positions on the bill.

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Recall that on October 3, 2024, President Tinubu transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration, following the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms headed by Taiwo Oyedele for the review of existing tax laws.

The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which would provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

Others were the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

ACF constitutes committee to study tax reform bills

This came as Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, yesterday, announced the constitution of a committee to study the tax reform bills and make appropriate recommendations to the Federal Government.

In a statement, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, spokesperson of ACF, said the current debates suggest that there were not enough consultations in preparing the bills.

He called on all concerned stakeholders to cooperate with the relevant senate committee charged with the assignment to review the content of the bills.

Muhammad-Baba said opposing views against the bills were essential inputs into the policy process, adding that decorum and mutual respect should be honoured in the discussions of provisions of the proposed laws.