The FCT Tax Justice and Governance Platform has said that it warmly welcomes the Legislative passage and the Presidential assent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the much-anticipated tax reform bills.
Botti Isaac, FCT Chapter coordinator who signed a statement to the media said that the signing into law the tax reform bills represented a critical development which marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s fiscal reform agenda and demonstrates a commendable commitment to building a more transparent, equitable, investors-friendly and development-oriented tax system.
‘We recognize that these new tax laws, if implemented effectively, have the potential to boost non-oil revenue, improve tax compliance, broaden the tax base, and enhance the delivery of public services, especially in areas such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and social protection for the most vulnerable segments of the population.
However, laws alone do not bring about transformation. Their success will depend on sustained commitment, inter-agency coordination, institutional capacity, and, most importantly, the active participation of all stakeholders, including government institutions, civil society, private sector actors, and citizens.
“We therefore call on all arms and levels of government—federal, state, and local—to demonstrate political will and leadership in the transparent and inclusive implementation of these reforms. Likewise, we urge civil society organizations, development partners, media institutions, and the private sector to join forces in monitoring implementation, educating citizens, supporting taxpayer rights, and holding duty-bearers accountable’, Mr Botti said.
Continuing, Mr Botti said that as the FCT Tax Justice and Governance Platform, working in collaboration with our partner platforms across Nigeria, the TJ &GP Abuja chapter reaffirms ‘our commitment to supporting the success of these tax reform laws. We will continue to work with relevant government institutions such as the Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS, the Joint Tax Board (JTB), the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and sub-national revenue authorities; to promote transparency, accountability, fairness, equity and inclusion in Nigeria’s tax system’.
‘In this new era of fiscal reform, we believe that a fair and just tax system is not only a matter of public finance it is also a matter of social contract and democratic governance. And as we all work together, we can build a tax system that works for all Nigerians’, Mr Botti said.