The Federal Government of Nigeria has categorically rejected allegations suggesting that the tax reform bills currently under consideration by the National Assembly are intended to impoverish specific regions of the country.
In a statement, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, clarified that the primary objective of these bills is to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged Nigerians, rather than to undermine the economies of any particular area.
Onanuga asserted that the proposed tax reforms would not result in increased wealth for regions such as Lagos or Rivers at the detriment of other parts of the nation. He further accused certain commentators of disseminating misinformation and inciting public discontent against legislators.
The Presidential aide elucidated that the bills do not advocate for the abolition of agencies such as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), or the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Instead, the reforms aim to consolidate various earmarked taxes and replace them with a single tax, which would be distributed among key agencies as beneficiaries.
President Bola Tinubu has initiated the Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms with the intention of streamlining tax administration, creating a more conducive operating environment for businesses, and addressing the complexities associated with multiple taxation that have hindered the economic landscape.
Onanuga urged stakeholders and public analysts to familiarise themselves with the content of the bills to avoid perpetuating misleading narratives.
He welcomed the heightened public interest surrounding these reforms and encouraged leaders and stakeholders to engage actively in the Public Hearings organised by the National Assembly to express their perspectives on the proposed tax reforms.
