The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform set up by President Bola Tinubu, Taiwo Oyedele has advised Nigerians to be conversant with the provisions of the Tax Reform Bills for informed opinions.

New Telegraph recalls that the tax reform Bills, four in all – the Nigeria Tax Bill (NTB) 2024; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB); 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill (NRSEB) 2024, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill (JRBEB) have aroused public interest, with many, given different interpretations to their context and provisions.

The arrowhead of tax reform, Oyedele engaged the public, in a series of interfaces, and dialogue with a view to giving perspective to the bills.

In continuation of this, Oyedele, on his official X handle on Tuesday noted that: ” As the tax reform bills continue to generate public debates, it is clear that some commentators have limited knowledge of the current tax laws and practice, hence unable to identify where improvements are being proposed.

“We encourage journalists and the general public to ask the following questions when engaging analysts on the tax bills to ensure a more constructive outcome”.

Specifically, Taiwo tasked journalists, or other persons whose duties are to interrogate, to ask such persons if he/she had read the bills or the relevant sections that were of interest to him/ her. specific provisions she disagrees with and why, and, ask the person his understanding of the current provisions of the tax law or practice regarding the issue you disagree with.

Taiwo’s plea to Nigerians to get acquainted with tax reform bill provisions reinforced a similar view canvassed on Monday by Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

Sule, while appearing in an interview with Arise Television, acknowledged that the majority of Nigerians speaking to the bills lack an in-depth understanding of the tax bills, a development he said was the root cause of widespread interpretations it generates.

He said many critics of the bills lack a fundamental understanding of Value Added Tax (VAT) and its mechanisms. Governor Sule acknowledged the initial reservations expressed by some northern governors, including himself, regarding aspects of the tax bills.

However, he noted that recent clarifications from President Bola Tinubu and the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform, Taiwo Oyedele, have alleviated many concerns.