The South East Caucus in the Senate has joined other stakeholders in the country calling for wider consultations on the controversial tax reform bills pending passage at the National Assembly.
The leader of the caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), disclosed this to newsmen after a closed-door meeting of senators from the South East region, held in his office at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Senator Abaribe explained that Senators from the zone were not against the bills, but wanted wider consultations before action.
Recall that the bills have generated heated controversies since they were presented to the two chambers of the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in October.
Governors, Northern Elders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), traditional rulers, some federal lawmakers and many others have rejected the bills, saying they are not in the collective interest of the country.
Abaribe said, “As much as the entire Senators from South East are not against the tax reform bills before both chambers of the National Assembly for consideration, we want wider consultations to be carried out on them.
“Specifically, we need to consult with our constituents across the 15 senatorial districts in the zone with our state governments and other critical stakeholders.
“We have read through the bills and want to share our knowledge with other stakeholders from the South East zone for much more equitable framework in the bills that would eventually be passed. We are not against the bills but need to consult with our people.”
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