The House of Representatives party caucuses are set to meet on Saturday to deliberate on the four tax reform bills submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu in September 2024.
State caucuses will hold similar meetings on Monday, ahead of the House’s resumption of plenary on Tuesday.
The Deputy Spokesman for the House, Philip Agbese, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.
President Tinubu had on September 3, 2024, transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly following recommendations from the Taiwo Oyedele-led Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms.
The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which aims to provide a comprehensive fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, designed to establish a clear legal framework for taxes to minimise disputes.
Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which seeks to replace the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act with the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which aims to establish a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.
Despite their objectives, the bills have faced strong opposition from the 36 state governors, who have demanded their withdrawal to allow for more consultations.
On Thursday, November 28, the House of Representatives held an executive session lasting over two hours. However, the bills were not listed for discussion on that day’s Order Paper.
Speaking on the upcoming meetings, Agbese explained that the party and state caucuses would help lawmakers, drawn from various political platforms and states, to better understand the proposed reforms ahead of Tuesday’s plenary.
He stated, “The 10th House is made up of lawmakers elected on the platform of eight political parties. On Saturday (today), the party caucuses in the House will meet to continue with the deliberations on these bills.
“On Monday, December 2, 2024, it will be the turn of the state caucuses in the House. They will meet and analyse issues as they relate to the four executive bills before the parliament for consideration.
“The reason for these meetings is to enable members to gain more insight, so that by the time we convene for plenary on Tuesday next week, members will be more informed. They will be better placed to contribute from a position of knowledge.”
Agbese dismissed suggestions that the bills had created divisions along party lines in the House.
“We have supporters of the bills in the APC and those opposed to the bills in the APC. We have supporters and those against the bills in other parties as well. Support and opposition to the bills have no political colouration,” he said.
“The bills are about the economy of the nation. Truth be told, there are fears here and there, and that is why the House has chosen to stay on the path of continuous consultation and consensus building. I am very sure that in the end, we’ll pass the bills.”
Agbese noted that the enlightenment session held with tax experts two weeks ago had positively influenced lawmakers’ views on the bills.
“I can tell you that more than half of the 40 per cent of lawmakers who were not in support of these bills initially have crossed over to the other side. They are now more informed,” he said.
Meanwhile, a prominent opposition lawmaker, Oluwole Oke, representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Osun State, has urged his colleagues to allow the bills to pass through second reading.
Speaking on Friday, Oke said, “I appeal to my colleagues to allow the bills scale through second reading and let’s subject them thereafter to scrutiny at a public hearing.
“We need to listen to Nigerians that sent us to represent them. I have gone through the bills and I can say honestly that they are in the interest of our nation. I am for the bills.”
He emphasised the need for inclusivity in designing the tax system.
“When you design a tax system, you must take the people who will operate the system into consideration,” he added.
The bills are expected to dominate discussions on the floor of the House when plenary resumes on Tuesday.
