Tax Reform Bills Will Favour The Poor In North — Daniel Bwala

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, says the proposed tax reform bills will favour the poor in Northern Nigeria.

Bwala made this statement on Tuesday when he appeared on ‘Prime Time,’ an Arise Television programme.

The tax reform bills have been faced with criticisms since they were sent to the National Assembly for consideration.

EKO HOT BLOG recalls that on October 3, President Bola Tinubu asked the National Assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills.

The legislations comprise the Nigeria tax bill, Nigeria tax administration bill, Nigeria Revenue Service establishment bill, and the Joint Revenue Board establishment bill.

The president is also seeking to repeal the law establishing the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and replace it with the Nigeria Revenue Service.

The Northern States Governors Forum, NSGF, has, however kicked against the bills after a joint meeting with the northern traditional rulers’ council at the Kaduna government house on October 28.

Meanwhile, former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, urged Northerners not to condemn Tinubu over the bills.

He advised that they should view the reforms as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage, noting that the north can survive on its own without value-added tax, VAT.

Speaking, however, Bwala said contrary to the widespread fear, the tax reform bills would not afflict or impoverish the north.

“I am from the north, and I am really saddened by the notion generated in the media that it is a north versus the south thing and not from the media in the sense of media people but people creating the narrative and that the tax reform bills are built or designed to afflict the north.

“I have seen lots of northerners who supported the bill, lots of them from different parts of the north, north-central and north-west,” he said.

The presidential spokesperson also refuted a purported report claiming that Tinubu has signed a contract with French President Emmanuel Macron for recolonisation of the north.

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