The Presidency has responded to growing criticisms regarding the Tax Reform Bills currently under review in the National Assembly, clarifying that the bills are the result of extensive work by a team of experts.
A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, took to X to explain that the bills were crafted over a period of 14 months by more than 80 professionals from various sectors across Nigeria.
He rejected claims that the bills were being rushed for ulterior motives, calling such accusations “disingenuous.”
Ajayi further emphasized that delays in the passage of crucial legislation, like the Petroleum Industry Bill, had led to significant losses for the country, including missed revenue, reduced investments, and job losses. He pointed out that the PIB took over 20 years to pass, which he described as a costly setback.
In his statement, Ajayi stressed that Nigeria could not afford another prolonged delay in addressing critical reforms.
His words: “It is very disingenuous to say that the Tax Reform Bills that are product of 14 months of extensive work by over 80 professionals drawn from every part of the country, across various professions and sectors of the economy are being rushed through the National Assembly for ulterior motive.
“The suggestion that it took Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) over 20 to get through the parliament is backward thinking.
“Nigeria lost too much for the failure to pass the PIB on time in terms of revenue, investments and jobs in the Oil & Gas sector. We should not wait for another 20 years to do what is right for our country.”