Sen Musa to Nigerians on Tax Bills: We’re working towards a trllion Dollar economy
By Patrick Wemambu
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, (APC, Niger North) has assured Nigerians that the Senate would produce legislation from the tax reform bills that would give Nigeria’s economy a trillion dollar base.
He revealed that President Bola Tinubu had tasked his Committee to produce a workable law, adding that the legislature is also committed to producing a tax law that would be accepted across the country.
Making the declaration Tuesday while fielding questions from journalists at the lobby of the National Assembly in Abuja, Senator Musa also revealed that the Committee would consider all stakeholders inputs on the tax bills, on their merits.
It would be recalled that the Senate on Monday began a 2-Day public hearing on the tax reform bills submitted to it by Mr President in October 2024.
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The public hearing is intended to clear grey areas and ensure wider acceptance of the legislation.
“…We are going to give this country a piece of legislation that is workable. We are going to consider every submission and every memoranda that has been given. The paper presentation that people have done we have them on record.
“We are going to review everything. After this today we are going to go in for a three-day retreat and during the retreat we are going to consult with experts. We are also consulting with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation so that we see how we can present a law or an Act that is workable, that will not conflict with the constitution of the federal republic,” the Committee Chairman stressed.
Assuring that the advice of everyone that has made presentations would be taken into consideration, Musa explained that submissions would be considered on their own merits.
His words; “We are not particularly looking at which organization or which entity presents but what is going to be acceptable to all Nigerians. What is going to be acceptable to all regions of this country because what we are trying to do is to present a law that is workable and when you look at advanced economies Mr President has said that he wants to see Nigeria having a one trillion dollar economy.”
Highlighting the need for tax laws that will stand the test of time, the parliamentarian pointed out that “Mr President is only going to stay for a likely eight years and after eight years there will be another government. So, we want a law that will, you know …
“Anybody that is there, even us that we are making the law, at the end of the day, we are going to be the ones also that will have to follow what we have learned.”
Arguing that it’s not about who presents, he said it is about what Nigerians will see as a true reflection of what it should be.
The public hearing is focusing on the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Fund Bill, the Nigerian Revenue Services Bill, the Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, and the Nigerian Tax Bills.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, has described the bills as what Nigeria needs now for development.
He dismissed insinuations that the north was against the legislation, as he said, “I’m delighted as a member of the committee that the tax reform has assumed a Nigerian dimension. It has not actually taken the north-south dichotomy.
“You also heard clearly from the side of the Sharia group who came and actually dwell on the inheritance. I also align with them because as a matter of fact, once there is a prescribed position by the Quran or the Hadith nobody violates that.”
Expressing enthusiasm that the measure has sunk in, the law-maker observed that the way the public hearing was managed is excellent.
He informed that the chairman was on top of the issues and Nigerians have been given time to say what they wanted to say without any inhibition, without any intimidation.
He called on Nigerians who have anything to say to come forward as the public hearing continues its second day of sitting.
According to him, what is important is what is good for the citizens of Nigeria and its democracy.
Senator Ningi regretted the country`s slow pace of development, attributing it to delay in bringing needed policy reforms
While commending the Governors Forum for earlier speaking against the bills, the former Chairman of the northern Senators caucus stressed, “You must commend them for coming out to say they don’t agree. Yes, they are from the Northeast, but this thing affects almost 32 states. Some governors decided to keep quiet.
“But at the end of the day, their position, the two positions of Governor Zulum and Bala Mohamed, was actually negotiated by the federal government and which necessitated the governors to come forward with a single stand.
“It is the stand of those Governors that gave us the added impetus to now say, okay, it’s good enough to have a public hearing.”
