By Aijeku Timothy
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday approached the Senate for the consideration and passage of the Finance bill 2020 into law to aid the 2021 budget.
Buhari had transmitted a letter dated 25th November, 2020, and read during plenary by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday.
The letter reads: “Pursuant to Sections 58 and 59 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), o formally request that the Finance Bill, be considered by the Senate, for passage into law.
“The Finance Bill, 2020 seeks to support the implementation of the 2021 budget by proposing key reforms to specific taxation, customs, excise, fiscal and other laws.
“Specifically, this Bill’s provisions: adopt appropriate counter-cyclical fiscal policies to respond to the economic and revenue challenges precipitated by the decline in international oil prices, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Nigerian economy;
“Reform extant fiscal policies to prioritize job creation, economic growth, socio-economic development, domestic revenue mobilization, as well as to foster closer coordination with Monetary and Trade Policies;
“Provide fiscal relief for taxpayers by reducing the applicable minimum tax rate for two years consecutive years of assessment, as well as reforming the commencement and cessation rules for small businesses;
“Propose measures time fund the Federal Government’s COVID-19 pandemic response and introduce provisions to enhance the recovery of corporate donations towards responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as any similar crisis in the future;
“Amend certain aspects of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, to align this Act with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as to enhance fiscal efficiencies by controlling the cost-to-cost revenue ratios of key state and Government-owned Enterprises; and
“Amend the Public Procurement Act to implement key procurement reforms previously proposed by the National Assembly, in 2019, to extend the scope of the Act to the Federal Judiciary and Legislature, accelerate procurement processes, increase mobilization fee thresholds and provide for essential e-procurement reforms.”
The Federal Government had on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, approved the 2020 Finance Bill in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to support the 2021 Budget, claiming thatit has no plans to increase the tax burden on Nigerians.
