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Nigeria needs a system that promotes equity - Atiku takes position on Tax Reform Bills

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has made known his position on the controversial Tax Reform Bills sent to the National Assembly for passage by President Bola Tinubu.


In a post on his X on Sunday, December 1, 2024, Atiku said he has keenly followed the intense public discourse on the bills, noting that Nigerians are unanimous in their call for a fiscal system that promotes justice, fairness, and equity.

He cautioned against any fiscal system that may further complicate the uneven development of the federating units by enhancing the status of a few states.

"Nigerians are united in their call for a fiscal system that promotes justice, fairness, and equity. They are loud and clear that the fiscal system we seek to promote must not exacerbate the uneven development of the federating units by enhancing the status of a few states while unduly penalising others," his post partly reads.

In September, the President transmitted the four-piece legislation to the National Assembly, seeking radical changes in the collection and distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT).

However, the proposed laws have faced stiff opposition from many Nigerians, who argued that the legislation would marginalise some states in the revenue-sharing formula.

Though the concerns have come from different sections of the country, the North has particularly been vociferous in its rejection of the bills. Governors, lawmakers, traditional and religious leaders, and other regional groups warned that the legislation posed threats to Northern development and the nation at large.

Despite the ensuing controversy, the bills have passed for a second reading at the National Assembly and the House of Representatives has scheduled dates for public hearing on the matter.

Atiku calls for due diligence over Tax Reform Bills

Meanwhile, the former Vice President called on the Green Chamber to be objective and transparent in conducting the public hearing on the bills, adding that the process must be all-inclusive.

"I call for objectivity and transparency in the conduct of the public hearing being organised by our representatives in the National Assembly. As a concerned stakeholder, I firmly believe that transparency and objectivity are essential for promoting accountability, good governance, and public trust in policy-making.

"The public hearing process must facilitate open and inclusive participation by all stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations, traditional institutions, politicians, public officials, and subject matter experts," Atiku added.

He also called on the National Assembly to revisit and make public the resolutions of the National Economic Council (NEC), a key stakeholder and an important organ of the state with the constitutional power to advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation.

"The NASS must be appropriately guided and ensure that in the final analysis, the contents of the Bills align with the interests of the vast majority of Nigerians. -AA," he concluded.

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