Northern Elders move against Tax Reform Bills, demand their suspension
By Salif Atojoko
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has demanded the immediate suspension of the proposed Tax Reform Bills submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The NEF criticised the federal government for failing to engage critical stakeholders and experts before putting the bills together.
The group therefore demanded an extensive dialogue with stakeholders.
These were contained in a statement by Al-Amin Daggash, Chairman of the Management Board Chairman of the NEF.
The Forum outlined the potential adverse effects of the reforms on Northern Nigeria and the country.
The NEF explained that it was necessary to emphasise that Nigerians in general, and Northerners in particular, were not opposed to good and meaningful reforms initiated by authorities at the federal, state, or local government levels.
It, however, stated that based on global best practices, successful reforms were anchored on certain key principles of the public policy-making process, which included, but were not limited, to the following;
“Extensive pre-reform engagements with experts and critical stakeholders to secure their buy-in.
“Establishing a well-defined media and communication strategy to clearly articulate the full scope of the reforms and ensure public awareness and enlightenment on a nationwide scale.
“Designing a robust, transparent, and inclusive implementation mechanism.
“Proactively implementing a well-sequenced process to ensure the reforms achieve the desired and anticipated outcomes for society.”
The NEF pointedly said that the proposed Tax Reform Bills by the Federal Government outright breached key principles of reform and public policy-making, which were globally recognised as best practices.
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