Consultations on contentious areas yielding fruit, FIRS chairperson says as FG delegation, lawmakers meet

The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, has said the ongoing consultations with stakeholders including government representatives and lawmakers on the tax reform bills have so far been fruitful.

Mr Adedeji stated this on Monday while speaking with journalists after the federal government delegation led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, held a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate ad hoc committee on the tax reforms at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.

In October last year, President Bola Tinubu transmitted four tax bills to the lawmakers for consideration.

They are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

The bills have, however, faced criticisms from some Nigerians, particularly northern governors and lawmakers, who said they are against the region’s interests.

Borno South Senator Ali Ndume leads the pack of northern lawmakers opposed to the bills.

Also, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Borno State Governor, Babangana Zulum, said except Lagos State, the bills would not benefit other states.

He also said they could have devastating consequences for the northern region, especially in the area of salary payment.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, also spoke vehemently against the bills.

Mr Adedeji said all the contending issues on the tax reforms were discussed at the meeting and that they are going as planned.

“All those things you call grey areas were discussed, identified and then as you said that they are advisory. So the judgment is not for us to make, it’s just for us to continue the engagement.

“The consultation which was based on your observation has been positive. So we are in the right direction and everything is going as planned,’’ he said.

All issues clarified

The FIRS chairperson also stated that all controversial issues on the tax bills were identified and clarified at the meeting.

“There won’t be any other further meeting because all issues were identified. All the issues were clarified and then the resolutions were made to the best knowledge of everybody there and then for the betterment of the country,” he said.

Mr Adedeji said he is confident that the tax bills will be passed because it is best for the country.

“(I am) not only confident because this is what is best for the country. So it is not only me, even the senators that brought us together, if they don’t see the positive part of it we will not be here.

“This is the first working day of the year and we are here because we all know this is what is needed, which is the consensus that all of us have said. What we are doing now is just to make that change better for the greater number of Nigerians,” he said.

Consultations ongoing – Abba Moro

Chairman of the Senate ad-hoc committee, Abba Moro, while speaking with journalists, also said consultations on the contending issues on the tax reforms are still ongoing.

Mr Moro, the Senate minority leader, said his colleagues and the federal government delegation agreed for the progress of the bills.

“We have agreed among ourselves that we must synthesise the whole process to ensure that at the end of the day, we give to Nigerians what Nigerians want and that is a law that serves the purpose of all Nigerians.

“So that is where we are now and hopefully by the time we meet again, we will finalise and we will have some better story to tell you.”

Status of bills

Meanwhile, the bills have since passed a second reading in the Senate and referred to the committee on finance, though they are yet to be debated in the House of Representatives

Senators from the South-east have said they are not against the bills but need to consult with their governors and other stakeholders in the region.

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South-south senators warned people opposed to the tax bills to desist from introducing regional, ethnic or tribal sentiments when criticising them.

However, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has assured that the National Assembly will do everything within its ability to ensure the passage of the tax bills.