The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu has given a strident defence of the Tax Reform Bills before the National Assembly.
He said that if passed, the new tax bills will give far-reaching transformation to the economy.
Also at the weekend, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, said the bills would help in the development of the country and asked those criticising the bills to study the provisions.
Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, refuted insinuations that the bills will hand over tax collection to consultants. There is no such provision in the bill, he stated.
Aliyu, who spoke during the graduation of members of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 at the National Institute for Security Studies in Abuja, said: “I was speaking to the NSA (Nuhu Ribadu) when we were in the common room, and I said to him, look, many of the people debating the tax bills have not read them.
“But again, there is the problem of communication; the government should speak more. When the majority of the people are not literate, you should be the first to speak on any major policy, particularly a policy that will bring changes, so that the people can understand.
“You cannot say because of one person, the policy cannot be taken. So, communication is very, very important.”
This, according to him, is the best way to douse the ongoing controversy.
Bagudu said Nigerians’ involvement in the tax reforms debate would lead to a better understanding of the bills and eliminate the negative views held by those who have not read the proposals.
