The Chairman of the Tax Reform Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has debunked speculations that President Bola Tinubu is trying to use consultants to collect revenues for the Federal Government with the proposed Tax Reform Bills.
When asked whether the President is trying to empower a consultant to collect revenues like he did in Lagos State with Alpha Beta during Channels Television’s Townhall on Tax Reform Bills on Monday, Oyedele Answered in the negative.
“The answer is no, in fact we had interesting debate at the committee level, and we wanted to put a language in the law that says no government should use a consultant to collect revenues, I think that is one of the biggest problems in our economy today,” Oyedele said.
“So, I can confirm to you 100 per cent, there is no plan whatsoever in using consultants to do any of these. The FIRS had a tax pro max that they had implemented, all that we need to do when we pas these bills, go to that system and amend the algorithm. So, we have the capacity already, we do not need consultants.”
The tax reform chair also debunked claims that the proposed reforms are seeking to scrap NASENI and TETFUND, saying there is no such proposals in the bills they submitted.
The proposed Tax Reform Bills have generated a lot of controversies since its introduction at the National Assembly. It has been met with serious resistant especially from the Northern part of the country.
Oyedele also dismissed claims that the governors were not consulted before the bills were forwarded to the National Assembly. He said that the Committee consulted the governor but they said they want further consultations.
Following the controversies these bills have generated, the National Economic Council had advised President Bola Tinubu to withdrawal the bills to allow for further consultations but he had refused and said that the bills should go through the necessary legislative processes.
Last week, the bills were passed at the Senate for second reading through voice votes.
The proposed legislation seeks to harmonize, coordinate, and resolve disputes arising from revenue administration in Nigeria.
L