The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Coverage and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has reiterated the necessity for nationwide consultations on the proposed tax reforms, regardless of opposition from some northern governors.
Oyedele, talking on Come up Tv on Sunday, countered claims that the committee had not consulted with stakeholders, notably governors.
He revealed that 4 scheduled conferences with governors’ boards have been cancelled, whereas different engagements with state officers and numerous sectors have been performed.
“We’ve greater than 20 authorities establishments represented. We’ve the non-public sector, whether or not it’s producers, whether or not it’s ladies in enterprise. We’ve 45 college students from 22 universities throughout Nigeria.
“Along with that, we had intensive engagement with the governors. I went to the governors’ discussion board. We wrote and needed to fulfill with six governors, one from every of the six geopolitical zones. Up till this second, it’s solely the governor of Lagos state we have been in a position to see,” Oyedele said.
He additionally highlighted the committee’s efforts to interact with various teams, together with Muslim clerics and the League of Northern Democrats, to handle issues and clarify the implications of the reforms.
“We had an attention-grabbing assembly with the Ulamas. They’re the clerics largely from the north. There have been over 120. We needed to clarify every little thing to them. And plenty of of them, after we have been executed, have been praying for the work we had executed as a result of there was a variety of misinformation beforehand,” Oyedele mentioned.
The proposed tax reforms, together with the Worth Added Tax invoice, have confronted opposition from some northern governors who argue that the modifications would negatively impression their states’ income.
Nevertheless, Oyedele emphasised the significance of a complete and equitable tax system for the nation’s growth.
“What they’re disagreeing with is about one or two. How on earth would the answer to disagreeing with two sections of the regulation be to withdraw 4 payments which can be transformative? Why don’t we focus on these issues after which current it to the lawmakers after which they’ll make a name as to what the ultimate place needs to be,” he said.
Oyedele additional confused that the committee is dedicated to addressing issues and interesting in additional discussions with stakeholders to make sure a easy and profitable implementation of the tax reforms.
Earlier, an elder statesman and northern politician, Buba Galadima had whereas showing on the identical programme anchored by Dr Reuben Abati, insisted that the payments have been solely honest to Ogun and Lagos states, sustaining that the Oyedele-led group failed to fulfill with any governor besides that of Lagos state.
Galadima additionally alleged that members of the panel have been disowning the report behind the chairman, observing that some members of the committee mentioned they weren’t carried alongside earlier than the selections on the payments have been taken.