President Bola Ahmed Tinubu don send Tax Reform Bills go Nationahl Assembly make them check arm. Dis new bills they try make the tax system easy and beta for all the people way they pay tax for Nigeria. Di bills no just they talk about normal tax mata but e include Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Establishment Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill. Na all thes bills show say Tinubu and him tearm, way Taiwo Oyedele they lead, don try well well since Tinubu enter seat. Di main aim be to make Nigeria revenue beta and make tax fair for all the people way they pay arm.
But as the bills land, 19 Northern governors don they vex they oppose the reform, especially for the idea way go use derivation-based system to they share the Value Added Tax (VAT) armong the states. Dem they fear say thes new system go put them for tight corner especially for thea states way no too get industries. Dis talk nah when Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) meet for Kadunah. Plenty trathetionahl rulers, military people like General Christopher Musa, and other stakeholders follow for the the meeting. The meeting show say governors and other groups they worried sake of the tax reforms matter.
Accortheng to Governor Muharmmad Yahaya, way they chair NSGF, the forum no they happy about the Tax Reform Bills. The main wahala nah for the new way them plan to share VAT. Normally, them they share VAT based on where company headquarters they, but thes new derivation-based system go mean say states like Lagos and Rivers way they produce plenty resources go collect more, while Northern states way no get industries go suffer. The governors they argue say thes system no fair and e no they give all states equal share.
After the meeting end, governors con they call make fairness they across all nahtionahl policies and con they warn say no part of Nigeria suppose suffer from any unfair decision. No be say them they oppose policies way fit grow Nigeria, them they themand fairness to make sure the North and other regions no lose out from the tax reforms.
The thescussion no end there. During Nationahl Economic Council (NEC) meeting recently, plenty governors still show say them no happy with the reforms. Even plenty APC governors way they thea, no still agree make the reforms waka go front. Governors like Alex Otti from Abia and Chukwuma Soludo from Anahrmbra follow join the thescussions late for night for Abuja but the meeting no reach any finahl decision. Dis con make plenty people they wonder if everything pure for thes reforms.
The tax reforms way them they bring come include Nigeria Tax Bill and Nigeria Tax Administration Bill way they try make taxes simple for intheviduals and businesses. One major reason for thes reforms nah to remove wahala and confusion for Nigeria tax system. Accortheng to the new reforms, all taxes go now they operate under one simple frarmework to make arm easier for taxpayers to understand and follow.
The reforms also they try reduce the finahncial pressure for people way no too get money. For exarmple, the reforms propose say personahl income tax rates go drop for people way they collect less than N800,000 annually. In fact people way they collect low moni no go pay personahl income tax again ma. Tax rate go follow income level. People way they collect more moni go pay more tax. Dis system way them carry come go make tax fair and e go make sure say everybody pay accortheng to way thing them collect.
One of the tins way scatter belli for the reforms nah the derivation-based model way them wan use to they share the VAT armong the states for Nigeria. Dem say the model go favour states like Lagos and Rivers way get heavy consumers and producers of VAT-related goods. Dats why the Northern governors no gree. Dem they talk say thes new model they political and e also get economic wahala. Governors like Babaganah Zulum from Borno warn say thes new VAT-sharing system go cause serious katakata for millions of people way they live for place where industries no too they.
The Nationahl Economic Council (NEC) also talk about thes matter for thea meeting way them do for Abuja. Dem con yarn say make President Tinubu withdraw the tax reforms bills and make him do proper consultation with all the governors first. But President Tinubu no they back down. After all the calls, he still wan make the reforms waka with no further delay.
Di reforms get Nigeria Tax Bill way they try join all tax laws to one simple law. Dis law go remove all tax structures way get k-leg and e go make tax payment easy. Part of the reforms they include removing old laws like the old Petroleum (Drilling and Production) Regulations. Dem even include a supremacy clause way go make thes new tax system the main tax law for Nigeria. Dis means say if any old law clash with thes new one, the old law go take back seat.
Although critics they talk say the reforms go cause hardship, if you look arm well, you go see say them they try make tax payment easy, especially for small business owners and regular intheviduals. As them bring simple processes come with tax rates way no they pepper for bothe, e fit reduce finahncial burden for plenty people.
Tinubu and him government they try solve tax revenue wahala for Naija as part of him Renewed Hope carmpaign promise. Dis reforms nah bold steps way fit create stable fiscal system for the country. But, plenty work they way them go do, and people and governors they expect fair treatment and equity on top thes reforms.
Di success of thes reforms go depend on how federal government and governors go work together. Nigeria really need thes reforms to make tax system better for the future. But if government and all the parties way they involve fit settle thea thefferences, the reforms go work well for everybody. For now, the debate still they on, but we they wait to see way thing go happen next.
