Tax Reform Bill anti-people, will be rejected – Hon Ghali

A member representing Ajingi/Albasu/Gaya Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has disclosed that he has read copies of the four Tax Reform Bills and understood them to be anti-people and narcissist in all intents.

Speaking on his personal position on Monday, the lawmaker said he has a corporate finance background and having gone through copies of the Bills forwarded to both Chambers of the National Assembly, he has reservations for the bills and will oppose them when they come up for debate.

He said, “it is normal for a bill to pass first reading and legislators could only debate when it comes for second reading”, adding that many members are weighing the ‘prons and cons’, expressing the belief that the bills would not see the light of the day.

The lawmaker said: “Well, this is a subject of national discourse currently going on and is yet to be debated at the National Assembly or the House of Reps.

“But we are aware it has gone through first reading and this is the second reading and we understand it is an Executive Bill.

“Most of the members, including me, so many people have an opinion about it, but I was able to have the four bills and digest it to my own understanding and to the level of knowledge.

“However, I have a background in finance, as a student of International Corporate Finance, so I have an idea of what all this is all about. The bills actually are not in tandem with public interest and it’s not pro-masses.

“This is a capitalist bill and for such a reason, I, Dr. Ghali Mustafa Tijani, I am rejecting this bill as a member that represents people in the parliament to ensure that my people are well represented and Nigerians have got all the benefits and dividends of democracy.

“Therefore, these tax reform bills are capitalistic in nature and are siphoning the poor, so to say.”

The bills were debated on Wednesday last week at the Senate amid a rowdy session due to controversies.