The South East Caucus in the Senate has joined other stakeholders in urging for broader consultations on the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly. The call was made by the leader of the Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), during a press briefing following a closed-door meeting with senators from the five South Eastern states.
Abaribe emphasized that the South East senators are not opposed to the Tax Reform Bills but are advocating for more extensive consultations with their constituents and other key stakeholders before any final decision is made. “While we are not against the Tax Reform Bills currently before both chambers of the National Assembly, we believe that wider consultations must be carried out,” Abaribe stated.
The senator stressed the importance of engaging with communities across all 15 senatorial districts in the Southeast, as well as with state governments and other critical stakeholders. “We have carefully reviewed the bills and believe it is essential to share our insights with stakeholders in the South East to ensure a more equitable framework in the eventual legislation. This is about ensuring that the bills serve all Nigerians fairly, especially our region,” Abaribe added.
The Tax Reform Bills under consideration include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill 2024, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2024, and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill 2024. These bills were submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on October 3, 2024, and have sparked a national debate.
While the presidency and the South-South Caucus in the Senate have called for swift consideration of the bills, other groups, including the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Northern Senators’ Forum, and the Arewa Consultative Forum, have echoed the South East Caucus’ call for wider consultations before moving forward with the legislation.
