Northern coalition threatens protest against bills

The House of Representatives will meet with members of the executive today to deliberate on the tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly.

This was as a coalition of northern groups, operating under the umbrella of the Forum for Growth and Development of Arewa (FGDA), strongly criticised the backing of the new tax reform initiative by some Northern leaders and threatened to stage a protest on Wednesday against what they termed “Anti-North bills.”

The internal Interactive session slated for today is expected to provide clarifications on the proposed reforms.

Spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi, who disclosed this in a statement, yesterday, said the parley underscored the House’s commitment to robust engagement and informed legislative action on critical policy reforms.

President Bola Tinubu in September 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 are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

Others are 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.

The executive bills have, however, not gained the support of some state governors who called for their withdrawal a fortnight ago to allow for more consultation; a proposal rejected by Tinubu.

Rotimi added that the interactive session would provide members with a platform to engage directly with the principal promoters of the reform bills.

He observed that the green chamber recognised the national significance of the proposed reforms and their implications for fiscal policy and governance, adding that the House was committed to its mandate of advancing the nation’s development through transparent, inclusive, and informed legislative processes.

THE coalition expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed tax reforms after Tinubu transmitted the Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Bill to the Senate. The bill is designed to streamline tax collection, ensure compliance and optimise revenue.

However, the FGDA raised concerns that the implementation of the bill would disproportionately affect the northern region, economically and commercially.

In a statement issued in Kaduna and signed by the group’s convener, Jibrin Mohammed, the coalition announced its plans to protest, aiming to send a strong message to Tinubu and members of the National Assembly that the proposed bills were “rejected and unacceptable.”

The statement reads, “We have consulted widely and carried out investigations into the proposed tax reform bills and discovered that their implementation will economically disadvantage the North.”

The group condemned the endorsement of the controversial tax reform by certain Northern figures, arguing that it failed to address the region’s existing developmental challenges and the significant economic disparities between the North and South.