Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says that President Bola Tinubu is committed to accountability on tax bills and will always act in the best interest of Nigerians.
Mr Idris said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, while reacting to the ongoing nationwide debate on the new tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly, saying was welcomed and commendable.
He said it was very inspiring to see Nigerians from all walks of life coming out to express their views and opinions on the new bills which were a matter of critical national importance.
“This is the very essence and meaning of democracy,” the minister said, adding that all commentators and groups should keep up the spirit of informed engagements,” he said.
Mr Idris said that they should also strive to be respectful and understanding at all times in spite of the diversity of opinions.
“In the spirit of democratic engagement, there should be no room for name-calling or for the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into this important national conversation.
“Similarly, it is important to be aware that there is a lot of misinformation and fake news circulating around the tax bills and the overall reform agenda of the Tinubu administration.
“The fiscal reforms will not impoverish any state or region of the country, neither will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agency.
“Instead, they will bring relief to tens of millions of hard-working Nigerians across the country and empower and position our states and the 774 local governments for sustainable growth and development,” he stated.
The minister said that the president was implementing an ambitious fiscal reform agenda that would devolve more resources to states and local governments, and ultimately, to Nigerians.
This, he said, was in the spirit of harnessing democracy that works for the people, adding that government had nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process was being rushed.
Idris added that in line with the established legislative procedure, the Federal Government welcomed meaningful inputs that could address whatever possible grey areas in the bills.
“In this vein, President Tinubu has already directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and relevant officials who worked on the drafts to work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that all genuine concerns have been addressed before the bills are passed.
“We are indeed witnessing, at this moment in the history of Nigeria, the most far-reaching, impactful and beneficial set of fiscal reforms that Nigeria has seen in decades.
“In addition to the four tax bills being debated and deliberated upon, there is also the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments,” the minister said.
According to him, the financial autonomy for local government will significantly empower that tier of government which is the closest to the people.
He expressed optimism that in all, the reforms would facilitate increased revenues without imposing additional tax burdens on the people.
Mr Idris added that it would also make it possible for citizens to demand and enjoy greater accountability in the management of public resources at all levels of government.
He assured that the Tinubu-led administration would continue to champion policies that would close the loopholes and gaps through which Nigeria’s valuable public resources had been frittered away for decades.
“On top of this necessary foundation, the resources being conserved and realised from these reforms will be invested in critical infrastructure, including healthcare, education, transportation and digital technology, among others,” he said.
The minister also said that the resources from the reforms would be channelled to social investments that would benefit all Nigerians and ensure that no one was left behind.
“This is the promise and the reality of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the minister stated.
NAN
