Tax Bills: No Plan To Use Alpha-Beta, Other Consultants to Collect Revenue — Oyedele
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has dismissed speculation that the federal government may outsource revenue collection to Alpha-Beta, a company believed to be linked to President Bola Tinubu.
Mr Oyedele spoke on Monday at a town hall meeting on the Tax Reform Bill organised by Channels TV.
Alpha-Beta is a private consulting firm that calculates, tracks and reconciles internally generated revenue (IGR) in Lagos State in exchange for a commission.
While responding to a question about the possible outsourcing of revenue collection to Alpha-Beta, Mr Oyedele insisted that there is no such plan.
“In fact, we had a very interesting debate at the committee level. I wanted to include a clause in the law that says no government should use a consultant to collect tax. We believe that this is one of the biggest problems in our economy today,” he said.
Although the clause was not included in the bills, there is no plan to use consultants for federal tax collection.
“So, I can confirm to you 100 per cent that there is no plan whatsoever to use consultants for any of this,” he added.
The four bills – the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill – currently before the National Assembly, have generated controversy since their introduction.
The bills enjoy the support of President Bola Tinubu whose administration has made tax reform one of its core policies. The president set up Mr Oyedele’s committee.
The bills have elicited mixed reactions. While many Nigerians and lawmakers have declared support for them, many others have openly opposed them. Critics allege that the bills would favour some sections of the country over others while proponents say the bills would eliminate multiple taxation for businesses and eventually lead to more funds for most state governments.
Some Governors Did Not Have Time for Us – Oyedele
Responding to a question about some governors’ complaints that they were not adequately consulted, Mr Oyedele denied the claims, narrating how some governors his committee visited did not make time for them.
“This is not rushed at all. We consulted. We had one session with the governors’ forum. We consulted the governors. They won’t say we didn’t consult them. What they are saying is that we need to consult more, which we agree with, because consultation never ends. Even after passing the bills, you must continue to consult,” Mr Oyedele said.
“Some of them did not have time for us. For those who did, we appreciate the governor of Lagos. He said, ‘You know what, let’s even set up a committee between my cabinet and your team to work through the details.’ We worked for more than six months,” he added.
The four bills have passed the second reading in the Senate and are expected to be debated soon in the House of Representatives. The lawmakers will organise public hearings on the bills to allow Nigerians to contribute to the debate before lawmakers take their final position on it.
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