Tax reform bills: North is angry
By Editor
Last week, the Senate geared up to look into the four tax reform bills forwarded to it and the House of Representatives by President Bola Tinubu some eight weeks ago.
President Tinubu is set to present the 2025 budget this week too
President Tinubu had on Thursday , October 3, 2024 in separate letters, forwarded to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the tax reform bills for consideration and approval.
Aside reading the letters containing the requests at both chambers on the said date , further legislative actions on it ,have not been taken on it the Senate in form of first reading , second reading and public hearing for public discourse and inputs.
Though the red chamber made an attempt to set the bills on the required legislative trajectory by listing it on its Order Paper of Wednesday, October 30, 2024 for first reading, they later stood it down along with other items for screening of seven new Ministers recently appointed by President Tinubu .
Both Chambers a day after (Thursday, October 31, 2024 ), embarked on three weeks recess which ended last week Tuesday (19th November, 2024) when they resumed.
Expectations that on resumption last week , the bills would be treated was however dashed in the Senate as they were not listed on its Order Paper for first reading.
Findings made by Sensenews on the seeming cold feet being developed by the Senate on consideration of the bills, showed that antagonism against the bills particularly from the northern part of the country, was the major reason.
Latest of such antagonisms, was made on Saturday in Abuja by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF).
NEF in a communique signed by Professor Ango Abdullahi, described the proposed reform as injurious to the North .
Professor Abdullahi in the communique said : “NEF seriously maintained that, in its present form, the Tax Reform Bill is conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged and it is a palpable threat to our unity and national cohesion.
“The Board-in-session, condemned in very strong terms, the conspicuous loss of voice on this burning issue by the overwhelming number of elected politicians in the National Assembly from the region” .
However based on responses obtained from some Senators contacted on the reform bills on Sunday, they will at appropriate time,be made to pass through the required legislative processes.
One of the Senators confided in Blueprint reporter that required in house lobbying for easy consideration of the bills are being done at both chambers before presenting them through expected legislative processes