KEY POINTS

• Peter Obi urges proposed tax reforms to be accompanied by public hearings in order to guarantee transparency and involvement.
• Obi points to the need to balance revenue aspirations with the general welfare of other parts of Nigeria.
• Legitimacy and success of government reform requires trust and public engagement.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Nigerian Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Nigerian government to conduct a public hearing before finally putting in place any of the tax reform bills.

Speaking Monday, Obi stressed the need to carry out tax reforms as they were critical to the health of the nation, but warned that they should not be rushed.

But he stressed those reforms must be subject to full discussion in the public domain, for transparency and inclusivity.

Transparency and public engagement

Obi said tax reforms affected all Nigerians and so should have wide opinion and perspective.

“The reform must be subject to further robust and informed public debate,” Obi said, adding that there must be a public hearing.

Hoping that public hearing will build trust and enable citizens from all walks of life to meaningfully engage in the proposed changes.

“It’s my firm belief that reforms should never be done in haste and issues of this magnitude require comprehensive deliberation,” he said.

Obi said that a well-conducted public hearing can guarantee the inclusion of diverse opinions in the policymaking process, ensuring that the reforms put in place will meet the needs of the nation as a whole

Fiscal goals and national welfare

Obi was also quick to caution against a situation, in which the government revenue goals are so high that it would jeopardize Nigeria’s overall welfare, by creating unnecessary extra burden on the citizens.

‘But we don’t want to make the mistake of simply evaluating the financial benefits of these reforms,’ he said and advised the government to study the power of reforms on society and the economy.

‘And we must consider the impact on the whole country and the sustainability of every region on the country,’ Obi said.

Engagement in building trust

Obi also stressed that with any policy change, it’s important to gain the buy in of the people and the trust of the public.

However, even well intentioned reforms, without transparency and legitimacy, areliable to fail. He said the foundation of effective governance is trust and legitimacy.

For Obi, it means the government must structure its policy making process in such a way that it takes account of public engagement and deliberation in order to build a true participatory democracy.