The National Economic Council on Thursday asked President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the tax reform bills from the National Assembly to allow for broader consultations and consensus building.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said this was part of the resolutions reached at the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council at the House of Representatives in Abuja.

Makinde told journalists that council members agreed that there was a need to allow for consensus building and understanding of the bills among Nigerians.

“The NEC noted the need for sufficient alignment of the proposed reforms and recommended the withdrawal of the tax reform bills,” he said.

Makinde stated that this decision was made for the benefit of the country and emphasized the need for more consultation on the bills.

“We saw the gap and decided that a broader consultation is necessary,” he added.

President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council recently endorsed new policy initiatives to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration processes.

The Federal Government says the new laws are aimed at improving efficiency and eliminating layoffs across all tax operations in the country.

The reforms emerged after a review of tax laws in force since August 2023. The National Assembly is considering four executive bills containing these tax reform efforts.

The CNE’s decision came days after the Northern Governors opposed the reform projects.

In a meeting held on October 28, 2024, the Governors of the 19 Northern States, under the platform of the Northern Governors Forum, rejected the new model based on derivation for the distribution of Value Added Tax on new projects of tax reform law before the National Assembly.

A statement read by the chairman of the forum, Governor Muhammed Yahaya of Gombe State, said the proposal denies the interests of the North and other sub-nationals.

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