FG seeks tax reform input, condemns ethnic slurs

The Federal Government has said there should be no room for name-calling or the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into the national conversation on the Tax Reform Bills before the Senate.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal in a statement commending the “robust nationwide debate” that has greeted the arrival of the bills.

Describing the debates as the very essence and meaning of democracy, Idris urged the commentators and groups to keep up the spirit of informed engagement and to strive to be respectful and understanding at all times despite the diversity of opinions.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu, who proposed the bill, will always act in the interest of the Nigerian people, adding that the President has directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and relevant officials to work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that all genuine concerns have been addressed before the bills are passed.

Addressing what he described as misinformation and fake news circulating around the tax bills and the overall reform agenda of the Tinubu Administration, the minister said the fiscal reforms will not impoverish any state or region of the country, neither will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agencies.

He assured that the bills will bring relief to tens of millions of hardworking Nigerians across the country and empower and position states and the 774 local governments for sustainable growth and development.

The minister dismissed claims that the Federal Government has something sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed.

He said the Federal General welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill.

Idris reminded Nigerians that, in addition to the four tax bills being debated and deliberated upon, there is also the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments, which will significantly empower the tier of government that is closest to the Nigerian people.

In all, these reforms will not only facilitate increased revenues (without imposing additional tax burdens on the people) but also make it possible for citizens to demand and enjoy greater accountability in the management of public resources at all levels of government, the minister said.

He said the Tinubu administration will continue to champion policies that close the loopholes and gaps through which Nigeria’s valuable public resources have been frittered away for decades.

He concluded by stating that the resources being conserved and realised from these reforms will be invested in critical infrastructure (healthcare, education, transportation, digital technology, etc) and in social investments that will benefit all Nigerians and ensure that no one is left behind.