Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says Nigeria’s tax administration system is long overdue for reforms.
Speaking at the 2024 annual general meeting (AGM) and public lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Kaduna chapter, on Saturday, Idris said the nation’s tax administration system has become long overdue for reforms.
On October 3, Tinubu presented four tax reform bills to the national assembly for deliberation and passage.
The bills, which have passed the second senate reading, are the Nigeria tax bill, the Nigeria tax administration bill, the Nigeria revenue service establishment bill, and the joint revenue board establishment bill.
“All over the world, effective taxation is important as a source of financial power for governments to provide social services for their citizens,” the minister said.
“Society advances by mutually respectful engagements, where we give voice to diverse opinions and respect those who we disagree with. We will certainly not always agree on all issues, perhaps not even on most.
“But we will always be guided by the fact that the things that unite us—our common humanity, our nationhood, our sense of patriotism, and our collective vision for a Nigeria that works for all—will always be more important and more meaningful than our differences of age, religion, region, ideology, gender, culture, and social class.
“All over the world, effective taxation is important as a source of financial power for governments to provide social services for their citizens.
“However, there is plenty of reason to believe and assert that Nigeria’s tax administration system has become long overdue for reforms, on account of design and implementation flaws as well as the general attitudes of taxpayers toward taxation.
“It is very inspiring and heartwarming to see Nigerians from all walks of life coming out to express their views and opinions on these matters of critical national importance.”
The minister assured that “President Bola Tinubu has also been very clear that the executive will listen to and work with all stakeholders to ensure that all concerns are duly and comprehensively addressed”.
“We will continue to ensure open lines of communication and engagement with the national assembly and all other stakeholders on these taxation bills,” he added.
“We are all in this together, as one people, one nation, and just as we are being called upon to make collective sacrifices, we will also collectively reap the abundant social and economic benefits of all of these necessary reforms.”
[TheCable]