North will benefit from tax reform bills — Northern experts

Some experts from northern Nigeria have thrown their weight behind the tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu, saying they will boost the economy of the North.

The tax reform bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill (meant to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Act and create the Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS) and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

Northern leaders, including traditional rulers and the Northern Governors Forum, NGF, are kicking against the tax reform bills, claiming it would impoverish the North.

However, the northern experts, who spoke as resource persons at a town hall meeting held in Abuja on Monday, refuted claims that the bills are anti-North. Rather, they stressed that the bills would aid the development of the region.

The town hall meeting, chaired by Prof Malfouz Adedimeji, Vice Chancellor African School of Economics (Pan-African University of Excellence, Abuja), was organised by the Coalition of Northern Civil Society Groups in collaboration with Concerned Northern Professionals.

Speaking at the event, Dr Mustapha Abubakar, a chartered accountant, said the tax reform bills are designed to expand Nigeria’s tax base, improve compliance and establish sustainable revenue streams

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