President Bola Tinubu on Friday revealed that the tax reform bills submitted to the National Assembly for approval will not be withdrawn.
News About Nigeria reports that the President made this declaration following the hostility from Nigerians regarding the tax reform bills and the recommendation of the National Economic Council (NEC).
Recall that the NEC, after its meeting yesterday (Thursday), recommended that the bills be withdrawn to allow for proper consultation to ensure they would benefit the country and Nigerians at large.
However, in reaction to this, a statement from his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the President would not withdraw the bills on sentimental grounds.
He explained that although the bills are already undergoing the legislative process, there is still room for “inputs and necessary changes without withdrawing the bills from the National Assembly.”
The statement partly reads, “President Bola Tinubu received the National Economic Council’s recommendation that the tax reform bills already sent to the National Assembly be withdrawn for further consultation. While urging the NEC to allow the process to take its full course, President Tinubu welcomes further consultations and engagement with key stakeholders to address any reservations about the bills while the National Assembly considers them for passage.
“When President Tinubu set up the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform in August 2023, he had only one objective: to reposition the economy for better productivity and efficiency and make the operating environment for investment and businesses more conducive. This objective remains more critical today than ever before.”
