The Senate has tinkered with membership of the 10-man committee set up on Wednesday to liaise with the Presidency on grey areas of the Tax Reform Bills by removing the name of the Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, APC, Borno North, as a member.
The removal, which was done on Thursday at the start of plenary came up 24 after composition.
The action was after the leader of the Senate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, removed its whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, from the committee and replaced him with Senator Shehu Kaka, APC, Borno Central.
It, however, retained the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP Benue South), as leader of the committee, which has other senators like Adamu Ailero (PDP, Kebbi Central), Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North), Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Titus Zam (APC, Benue South), Abdullahi Yahaya (PDP, Kebbi North), Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West), Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), and Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East) as members.
Recall that following criticisms on the reform tax bills forwarded to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu for consideration, the Senate on Wednesday suspended further legislative actions on the bills.
In a sudden change of decision to carry out a public hearing on the bills, the Senate on Wednesday, with attack from within and outside, resolved and consequently set up a 10-man committee to meet with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on ways to resolve contentious issues in the tax bills even as it immediately mandated its Committee on Finance to stop further action on the tax bills that passed for second reading last week.
This was made known by the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano North, who presided during the plenary.
The Senate Minority Leader, Abbah Moro, PDP, Benue, is the chairman of the committee that will liaise with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to eliminate the contentious clauses in the tax bills.
Other members of the committee are all the leadership of the Senate, including Adamu Ailero (PDP, Kebbi Central), Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North), Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Titus Zam (Benue South), Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi), Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West), Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), and Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East).
Recall that on September 3, 2024, President Tinubu transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration, following the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms headed by Taiwo Oyedele for the review of existing tax laws.
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The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.
Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.
Also recall that the same day, both the Senate and the House of Representatives embarked on the hurried recess; the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, resolved that the tax reform bills should be withdrawn from the National Assembly by President Tinubu for wider consultation.
But President Tinubu on Thursday, 31st October, 2024, responded to the request that the bills should be allowed to pass through the required legislative processes at both chambers, which, according to him, will give concerned Nigerians the opportunity to get details on the bills and make their inputs, particularly at the stage of public hearing.
