A bill seeking to establish the Tax Crimes Commission, yesterday, scaled second reading at the House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu and eight others, the proposed piece of legislation wants a commission that would address revenue leakages resulting from non-payment and underpayment of taxes.
This comes a few days after President Bola Tinubu ordered full implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report geared at merging, subsuming, scrapping and relocating several agencies of government.
Nweke Uche (PDP, Rivers), who led the debate, submitted that if passed, the commission would tackle tax-related crimes, address loopholes in the tax administration system and promote taxpayers’ rights.
He explained that the proposed body would not function as a law court and replicate duties of the Tax Appeal Tribunals but delve primarily on overseeing the tax administration system.
His words: “The Tax Crimes and Oversight Commission will not function as a law court. It will not duplicate functions of the Tax Appeal Tribunals established in accordance with Section 59(1) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2007, and it will not be saddled with any form of quasi-judicial functions.”
The lawmaker added: “The commission will primarily focus on the oversight of the tax administration system.”
Subsequently, the lower legislative chamber referred the bill to the Committee on Finance for further legislative action.
