Tinubu May Agree To Some Conditions By Governors On Tax Reform Bills — Presidency
The tax reform bills, which are before the National Assembly, have generated controversies and met pushbacks especially from the Northern leaders, forcing the lawmakers to initiate consultation.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has hinted that his principal may eventually agree to some conditions and terms of the state governors concerning tax reform bills.
The tax reform bills, which are before the National Assembly, have generated controversies and met pushbacks especially from the Northern leaders, forcing the lawmakers to initiate consultation.
The bills comprise the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.
Despite the negative reactions to the reform from the state governors and other stakeholders, the President strongly affirmed that his administration’s tax reforms had come to stay.
Speaking on Channels TV, which SaharaReporters watched on Monday evening, Bwala said that state governors’ opposition to the reforms, particularly those from the north, would give them a negotiating advantage.
He said: “The tax reform bills have come for good and it will be passed. And I know the politics of the north and of course you know I am a northerner. So let me react to that, they are very good in politics of negotiation. Just like in America, when you bring partisan laws, you will see that it passes without stress. When you bring a law that maybe Democrats will benefit more than Republicans, you will see that the Republicans will try to pose a threat so to speak until there is a concession.
“So with the continuous conversations in this field, I see a situation where there will be a position by the governors that may be acceptable to the federal government. The federal government may need to concede in some areas while the state government may also need to concede in some areas and at the end of the day, the bill will be passed.”
