.Summons Finance Minister, AGF, FRIS, others
Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja
The Senate has concluded plans to commence a two day Public Hearing on Monday to Tuesday to give Nigerians the opportunity to air the views on the controversial Tax Reform Bills.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa who gave this hint at a Media briefing on Wednesday said all is set to begin discussion with all stakeholders and the general public on the importance of the tax Refund Bills to the economy of Nigeria.
Coming out of a closed door with members of his committee said,” we went into a closed session with distinguished members of the Finance committee and it was almost anonymous whatever we have discussed we’ve all agreed first is that we are going for public hearing on Monday we’re starting the public hearing on Monday the 24th is the 24th of February and the second day will be the 25th .
“We intend to take on two of the bills of each day of this session and for the press to fully be abreast with what we intend to do the senate committee on finance is going to invite the general public particularly the under-listed organizations to a two-day public hearing on the following tax reform bills: one the joint revenue board establishment fund bill, Nigerian Revenue Service Bill, Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, and Nigerian Tax Bill’s.
“If you recall Mr president submitted these four bills last year 2024. As it is today, both House have done the second reading and all are ready for the Public Hearing and these Bills aimed at reforming the tax both the Tax administration collection and operations of tax in Nigeria and the main purpose of this is to see how government will generate more revenue so that we’ll be able to put our country on the pedestrian of advanced economies where Infrastructure, Education, Agricultural sector virtually every sector that revolves around the ecosystem of economy will be adequately taken care of with enough funds and we want to align ourselves with Mr president.”
Continuing he said,”Looking at the bills, we have studied it very well, both as a committee, we have had an engagement with a lot of stakeholders before arriving at where we are today, and I believe that the public hearing is going to go on smoothly, and wherever the gray areas are, Mr. President has said it, times without number, that he’s not going to interfere. It is our duty as legislators to do the needful for the good of this country.
“We are all representatives of different tribes, religion, geographic history, but we are Nigerians. And what we will work towards giving Nigeria are laws, legislation that will put us on track economically, and by the grace of God, I think…
“We will succeed. We have invited a lot of agencies, just to mention a few of those agencies that we believe that they are key to this, like the Federal Minister of Finance, the Coordinating Minister of Economy, we invited Federal Minister of Trade and Investment, we have invited Anthony General of the Federation, we have also invited the Minister of Petroleum, because you know there’s this issue of cash calls, like the revenues, the royalties coming from the oil and gas sectors.
“We are inviting the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Services, we are also inviting Statistician General of Nigeria, that’s the Nigerian, I mean National Bureau for Statistics, so that he will be able to come and give us his own submission.
“We need it. We need it because we need to know how, generally the economy, not just reading or getting it from the news, what is happening practically out there. You can recall that Nigeria had the MBS game, a revised data of how our economy looks like.
“We want to see more improved than it is today. We are more advanced than any other economy in Africa. And we should be able to… We should be able to do things that will give us that stride. And what we have done is before even the public hearing, every member that you have seen here have gone through that tax bill.
“And we are communicating also with our constituents, so that at the end of the day, we give Nigeria the desired legislation that will take care of our revenue and tax administration in the I will allow maybe one or two of my colleagues to chip in, if any, so that we give you room for any question.”
