Senators from Nigeria’s South-East region have resolved to consult with their state governments, constituents, and other stakeholders before making a final decision on the contentious tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly.
Under the umbrella of the South-East Senators’ Forum, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of seeking input from the zone to ensure their position reflects the collective interests of their people.
Leader of the caucus, Senator Eyinanaya Abaribe, disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists after a closed-door meeting at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The tax reform bills—Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill—were transmitted to the National Assembly on October 3 by President Bola Tinubu.
While the bills aim to overhaul the country’s tax system, they have faced significant criticism, with some of the opposition taking ethnic and sectional dimensions.
To address these concerns, the Senate constituted a committee to liaise with a federal government delegation led by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
However, the committee’s scheduled meeting last Thursday was postponed due to Fagbemi’s absence.
Abaribe clarified that while South-East senators are generally supportive of the proposed tax reforms, they believe wider consultations are necessary to address the peculiar concerns of their zone.
“As much as the entire senators from South-east are not against the Tax Reform Bills before both chambers of the National Assembly for consideration, we want wider consultations to be carried out on them.
“Specifically, we need to consult with our constituents across the 15 senatorial districts in the zone with our state governments and other critical stakeholders,” he said.
Abaribe, the senator for Abia South Senatorial District, noted that he and other senators from the South-east region have read the bill and are willing to share its benefits when passed to different stakeholders in their area.
“We have read through the bills and want to share our knowledge with other stakeholders from the South-east Zone for a much more equitable framework in the bills that would eventually be passed.
“We are not against the bills but need to consult with our people,” he stressed.
Last Thursday, senators from South-south said they supported the tax reforms regardless of the criticisms because they aimed to strengthen revenue and foster economic stability.
They also warned people opposing the tax reform bills to refrain from expressing regional, ethnic, or tribal sentiments when criticising them.