The Presidency of Nigeria has issued an official clarification disputing claims that the tax reform laws recently signed and gazetted differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly.
The clarification follows allegations raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsammad Dasuki, that the tax laws published in the Official Gazette do not reflect the texts approved by lawmakers during the legislative process.
Speaking on behalf of the executive, the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, stated that documents circulating publicly and cited in support of the allegation are not authentic legislative instruments. He explained that the only authoritative basis for assessing consistency between passed bills and gazetted laws is the harmonised version of the bills certified by the Clerk of the National Assembly.
According to the clarification, the certified harmonised bills transmitted by the National Assembly to the President have not been made publicly available. As a result, the Presidency stated that no formal comparison can be made between the laws as passed and the versions published in the Official Gazette. It further stated that only the National Assembly can authoritatively confirm the contents of the harmonised bills transmitted for presidential assent.
The executive also indicated that neither the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee nor its members possess copies of the certified harmonised bills beyond the versions presented to the President for assent. It was further stated that the House of Representatives committee referenced in public discussions had not formally issued the documents currently in circulation.
The tax reform laws referenced in the clarification have been assented to and gazetted following enactment. No suspension, amendment, correction, or alteration of their legal status or commencement has been announced by the executive or the legislature.
What Next:
– Internal review by the House of Representatives remains pending.
– Any confirmation of discrepancies or corrective legislative action would require a formal resolution of the National Assembly.
– No change to the legal status or commencement timelines of the tax reform laws has been officially announced.
