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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara has said that true tax reforms are not about raising rates but earning public trust.
Dogara, who is also the Chairman of the National Credit Guarantee Company Ltd, stated this while delivering the inaugural Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture, organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps (HoRPC), on Tuesday, in Abuja.
This is as the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Grace Ike, also charged the government to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective deployment of tax revenues to infrastructure development.
Ike, in a goodwill message at the event, said: “Tax reform is pivotal to Nigeria’s economic growth, fiscal sustainability, and social development. Under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, we are witnessing bold steps aimed at modernising and strengthening our tax system…
“Our collective goal must be a Nigeria with a robust economy, where tax policies contribute to sustainable development and improved quality of life for every citizen.”
The former Speaker, who spoke on the theme “Navigating Tax Reform in Nigeria: Insights on President Tinubu’s Policies”, noted that when citizens see how their taxes are utilised, they are more willing to discharge their part of the bargain.
President Bola Tinubu had last year presented four tax reform bills to the National Assembly. The bills, which generated so much furore in the polity, with the North picking holes in some of the proposals, were eventually passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
The new tax laws, which have been signed by President Tinubu, are set to come into effect next January. Nevertheless, the new tax laws have continued to generate diverse reactions across the country.
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However, Dogara, who stated that the tax reform was ambitious and necessary, recalled that President Tinubu inherited an economically challenged country, stating it was obvious that urgent steps needed to be taken in the overall interest of the country.
The former Speaker, while describing the tax reform as “the most audacious overhaul of our fiscal framework in decades and in response to long-standing fragmentation in the country’s tax law and administration,” noted that “the stated goals are to simplify the legal framework, broaden the tax base, strengthen compliance, and align selected rules with international tax practices.”
Nonetheless, Dogara stated that “the government must also understand that true tax reform is not about raising rates, but about raising trust. It is the covenant between a government’s promise and a people’s prosperity. This is because transparency is the engine of compliance.
“Let this reform be a pact between the government and the private sector—a promise that if we contribute diligently, the government will deploy those resources responsibly to build the roads we drive on, power the industries we run, build world-class hospitals for us, and educate the talent we hire.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in his remarks at the event, commended President Tinubu for the tax reform. Abbas noted that the tax reform was a decisive step aimed at broadening the tax net and easing the burden on ordinary Nigerians.
The Speaker, who was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, said: “Indeed, what we now have before us is one of the most significant steps of building our Fourth Republic, with the greatest potential to transform our economy and fiscal institutions.”
Earlier, the Chairman House Press Corps, Gboyega Onadiran, in his welcome address, explained that the Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture series is designed to bridge the gap between the legislature and the public by simplifying parliamentary activities and clarifying national issues.
According to him: “As journalists, the mirror of society and agenda setters, we believe this forum offers a unique opportunity to unpack these grey areas and simplify parliamentary activities for Nigerians.”
