₦airaland Forum

The proposed Tax Reform Bills of the President Bola Tinubu-led government have drawn severe criticism from the Northern Elders' Forum (NEF), which has called them defective and potentially detrimental to the economic reality of Northern Nigeria.

The forum called for an immediate suspension of the reforms and explained its concerns and recommendations in a press release signed on Saturday by NEF Board Chairman A.M. Al-Amin Daggash.

According to the forum, "It is terribly shocking, that, in this time and age, with nearly three decades of unbroken experimentation of democratic governance, our dear country will be so sadly saddled with a government that is working assiduously, to deny its citizens, the vigorous ventilation of democratic opinions and freedom of expression."

The four bills that make up the proposed reforms—the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill—are intended to increase government revenue and improve the effectiveness of tax collection.

The NEF countered that Northern Nigeria, which struggles with issues like poverty, young unemployment, and insecurity, is disproportionately affected by these policies.

"The sudden and abrupt introduction of these obvious draconian Tax Reform Bills by the Federal government would certainly exacerbate rather than alleviate the unbearable existing harsh economic realities being faced by the poor and vulnerable people in Northern Nigeria," said the statement.

The Nigerian government was criticized by the forum for not following international best practices in policymaking, which include involving stakeholders and creating an open implementation process.

"These glaring failures necessitated the timely setting up of a Committee of Experts on the field, by the Northern Elders' Forum," they stated.

The NEF's suggestions included asking the government to pause the hasty implementation of the measures, give stakeholder consultation top priority, and reevaluate plans to raise VAT.

As they put it, "We strongly recommend that the status quo should be maintained by the government, so as to strengthen and protect these strategic national institutions." They also asked for the protection of important institutions such as TETFund, NITDA, and NASENI.

Given the substantial impact on the economy of Northern Nigeria, the forum also emphasized the necessity for equitable distribution of VAT revenue and argued in favor of exempting livestock and agricultural products from VAT.

In order to foster tolerance, they also suggested substituting the word "religious" for divisive ones like "ecclesiastical" and suggested exempting religious organizations and family inheritance riches from taxes.

According to the NEF, "The leadership of Northern Elders’ Forum holds the firm view that government’s interests will best be served by actively engaging in comprehensive dialogue with varied and critical stakeholders, in order to foster very admirable legislative outcomes that will respect the rights of all citizens."

The forum reiterated its dedication to helping create an open and fair tax administration system that puts the interests of economic development and national cohesion first.

Source: The Bureau Newspaper

Parasites will starve. We will pass the Bills even if no single human or spirit supports the Bills.

I am a Muslim, it is Haram to use VAT from Beer, Shenuebo, Jekonmo, Monkey tail, also Tax on hotels were unmarried ladies are fuccked without mercy, it is Haram to use such Tax to sendharis to Mecca for Hajj. Let every state spend the Tax it generates

For where

This is a real call for all southern states particularly southwest south south and southeast north central join together and stand against northern states calling for a suspension of what could transform our dear country to higher development.

This tax bill reform gonna reveal a lot of loopholes on the nation wealth. This northern people are so wicked they allocated big resources to their various state.while given southern Nigeria smallest allocation.

Maiduguru monthly allocation for example is bigger than Anambra monthly allocation Katsina monthly allocation is bigger than Oyo monthly allocation. While jigawa monthly allocation is bigger than Imo state.

Please who design monthly allocation wasn't northern leaders? We need to shun tribalism and rally round behind our president.

Even the Middle Belt aka North Central support the tax reform bills.

What are the north west and north east afraid of?

The bill will be passed and there's nothing any backward people can do about it.

You are inconsequential the people that will make decisions are in national assembly which influence did you have? And also learn how to address issues with good manner stop being rude and mannernless.

IDFforce1:
. That united south will kee you there. Are you for real?

You Yoruba Muslims think we are all fools down here in the south. You must be very stupid to think that we have anything like united south.

IDFforce1:
. That united south will kee you there. Are you for real?

You Yoruba Muslims think we are all fools down here in the south. You must be very stupid to think that we have anything like united south.

South-South, South West, North Central, and progressive faction of NW + NE already backed the tax bill.

Even your Ibo leaders have no choice than to back it. You are just an online nobody, your opinion don’t count.

Be humble.

Exactly.

LegendHero:
South-South, South West, North Central, and progressive faction of NW + NE already backed the tax bill.

Even your Ibo leaders have no choice than to back it. You are just an online nobody, your opinion don’t count.

Be humble.

Where were the evil northern elders when Buhari was ravaging the country?

Nobody is suspending nothing
. Tax Bill has come to stay.

Let the Poor Breathe

IDFforce1:
. In your deluded mind, you think the south south is with you yorubas?

So your failure of a president is going to win the majority vote in the south when obi is in the ballot?

Imagine the kind of lies you yorubas tell yourselves

Boy South South leaders are FULLY with Tinubu. From Ibori, to Oshiomole, to Akpabio, to Wike, to Akwa Ibom Governor, to Jonathan, to even Fubara.

They are not a hateful ethnics like your folks. Stop projecting your hateful self on them.

They are not losers.

That bill should NOT pass! It should be sent back to the presidency! The VAT portion of it needs to be changed

LegendHero:
Boy South South leaders are FULLY with Tinubu. From Ibori, to Oshiomole, to Akpabio, to Wike, to Akwa Ibom Governor, to Jonathan, to even Fubara.

They are not a hateful ethnics like your folks. Stop projecting your hateful self on them.

They are not losers.

Nor mind am, he wan do boy boy for Ndi Fulani all him life.

Thankfully infinitely more important and perceptive people than him can see the benefits of the Tax Reform for hardworking state governments and can also see why the lazy and entitled Northern political cabal don't want it.

Bitter Obidient poster on Nairaland will soon have more to be unhappy about in his life when the Tax Reform Bill is passed and all of the South and Middle belt rises up as one to applaud President Tinubu and give him four more years to finally remove the Northern political cabal's unfair vice like grip on the rest of us.

aswani:
Nor mind am, he wan do boy boy for Ndi Fulani all him life.

Thankfully infinitely more important and perspective people than him can see the benefits of the Tax Reform for hardworking state governments and can also see why the lazy and entitled Northern political cabal don't want it.

Bitter Obidient poster on Nairaland will soon have more to be unhappy about in his life when the Tax Reform Bill is passed and all of the South and Middle belt rises up as one to applaud President Tinubu and give him four more years to finally remove the Northern political cabal's unfair vice like grip on the rest of us.

Don’t mind the guy. He no get level

Back to sender this shall be your portion in this new .

IDFforce1:
. Ediot, so after your 8 years of being Buhari advocate, you have now metaphorsed into tinubu advocate. As you continue to support failures down here in Nigeria because of tribal and religious sentiment, so shall you fail in your sojourn to Canada, whether you have moved or still planning to

We say no to Yoruba selfish agenda

Good2go1:
We say no to Yoruba selfish agenda

The tax reform bills are not a Yoruba agenda. Stop twisting the narrative.

It must see the light of the day.

Tinubuadvocate:
This is a real call for all southern states particularly southwest south south and southeast north central join together and stand against northern states calling for a suspension of what could transform our dear country to higher development.

This tax bill reform gonna reveal a lot of loopholes on the nation wealth. This northern people are so wicked they allocated big resources to their various state.while given southern Nigeria smallest allocation.

Maiduguru monthly allocation for example is bigger than Anambra monthly allocation Katsina monthly allocation is bigger than Oyo monthly allocation. While jigawa monthly allocation is bigger than Imo state.

Please who design monthly allocation wasn't northern leaders? We need to shun tribalism and rally round behind our president.

Leave south east out of these as they are betrayals, the rest of the region can do without the north and east.

It has become clear to all that the iragbiji man has become the most hated man in the north today. Anyways one thing is for sure, he will either be booted out shamefully in the next election or he will have his way again by all means.

Should he be booted out, he will become a villain and a fool. But should he have his way regardless of how he is hated in the north and some other parts of Nigeria, then he would have succeeded in making north become inconsequential.

I will be happy with either of the outcome