Taiwo Oyedele, the head of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, claims that his and his family were affected emotionally by the controversy that initially surrounded the tax reforms that were proposed by his committee.
The former PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) tax leader said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, just before President Bola Tinubu rebuffed four new tax bills, saying that the “most important sacrifice” is the emotional impact, particularly on my family.
At the height of the controversy, his wife allegedly held daily vigils for him.
“My family was affected greatly by the people who would write up stories for blogs and newspapers at the height of it.
For instance, my wife, for example, struggled to stay awake the night before going to bed.
“Thank God, my kids are still young. They don’t know what I’m going through, he said, but it’s been difficult. “It’s a big sacrifice,” he said.
Oyedele, who was appointed by the president in July 2023 as the tax committee chair, urged Nigerians to simplify their tasks.
“I believe it’s crucial to make the case that Nigerians should not deter honest people who want to help if they truly want a better country.
“It’s already a difficult choice to try to work in the public sector.” He claimed that making things harder than they should be is not helpful.
The tax boss, however, defended his sacrifice and said he was grateful for the change in the country’s tax system.
Looking back, it’s possible that the financial sacrifices were even smaller. The government’s proposed payment was absurd.
I responded, “You don’t need to give me a salary; just cover the cost of what you asked me to do.” And that’s okay with me. In the context of this, he said, “it’s a small sacrifice.”
He claimed that the new laws’ goals, which would become effective from January 2026, are intended to reduce tax collections and prevent tax evasion.
Oyedele: Households Making $250,000 or Less on a Monthly Income Won’t Pay Taxes
Oyedele added that the new laws are people-centric, growth-focused, and efficiency-driven, and that they would also protect businesses and prevent the government from taxing poverty.
Before it was passed and approved, the tax was fraught with scathing criticisms and stiff opposition from many, including some governors who argued that some states would not be able to pay staff salaries if certain bills were passed into law.
However, the Presidency and the National Assembly claimed that allies had been present and that governors’ fears had been flung out.
The four new tax bills that the National Assembly recently passed were signed into law by Tinubu on Thursday, describing them as crucial to the administration’s success and prosperity.
The Nigeria Tax Bill (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to harmonise Nigeria’s symbiotic tax laws into a unified statute, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, to provide a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments.
Source: Channels TV
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