Reps Release Tax Reform Acts for Review Amid Discrepancy Concerns

 

  

 The House of Representatives has released the four tax reform laws recently signed by President

 Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address public concerns over alleged discrepancies in Nigeria’s tax legislation.

    The move followed debates in the chamber after claims that some versions of the new tax laws

 circulating publicly differed from the texts passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers warned that

 leaving the issue unresolved could weaken confidence in the legislative process.

On Saturday, Speaker of the House, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, acting in agreement with Senate President

 Godswill Akpabio, ordered the immediate publication of the Certified True Copies of the laws,

 including the assent pages signed by the President.

The released legislations are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the

 National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment)

 Act, 2025.

The controversy emerged during plenary when Sokoto lawmaker Abdussamad Dasuki raised a point of

 privilege, citing inconsistencies between circulating versions of the tax laws and those debated and

 approved by lawmakers. He cautioned that such circulation could undermine trust in the National

 Assembly.

Following the intervention, the House resolved to verify the Acts internally and release the certified

 versions to clarify the situation.

In a statement, House spokesman Akin Rotimi said the decision reflects Speaker Abbas’s commitment

 to transparency, legislative accountability, and public trust. He noted that the tax reform process

 involved consultations, committee scrutiny, and extensive debates to ensure alignment with Nigeria’s

 fiscal priorities.

Rotimi described the Acts as central to Nigeria’s modern tax reform framework, aimed at improving

 revenue administration, boosting compliance, reducing inefficiencies, and strengthening fiscal

 coordination nationwide.

The Speaker reassured Nigerians that only the certified versions released by the National Assembly

 constitute the valid and authoritative laws, urging the public to disregard unauthorised documents.

Meanwhile, the House confirmed that the Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the alleged alterations,

 chaired by Rt Hon Muktar Betara, will continue its work to identify the source of the unauthorised

 versions and recommend safeguards.

The House reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, constitutional order, and the protection of the

 integrity of Nigeria’s lawmaking process nationwide effectively. Source: Punchng