NASS to Release Certified Copies of Signed Tax Bills

The National Assembly has promised to provide Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the bills signed by President Bola Tinubu in order to allay public worries over purported inconsistencies in recently passed Tax Acts.

Bullah Bi-Allah, the National Assembly’s Director of Information, said in a statement on Thursday that the Clerk to the National Assembly has been instructed to make the signed tax bills—including the certificate pages—available for public inspection.

According to Bi-Allah, the decision was made in response to public demands for transparency following reports that claimed there were discrepancies between the Tax Acts that were eventually gazetted and those that were recorded in the legislature’s votes and proceedings.

“The management had observed the purported differences between the gazetted versions of passed tax acts and the National Assembly’s votes and proceedings,” he stated.

Only a small number of people have formally sought the CTCs of the harmonized bills, he continued, despite the general curiosity.

Bi-Allah stated, “All such requests have been processed.”

The Clerk is collaborating with the Federal Government Printing Press to guarantee that the properly certified and assented Acts are published in accordance with legal requirements, the Director of Information further revealed.

“The Federal Government Printing Press is legally responsible for printing and publication, but the Clerk is responsible for starting the gazetting process,” he clarified.

According to him, the gazettes should be available by Thursday.

The National Assembly has decided to examine the protocols governing the transmission and publication of bills in order to improve institutional operations.

From now on, presidential liaison officers will handle all laws intended for presidential assent.

“Unless the Clerk to the National Assembly or his authorized representative initiates the request, the printing press will not consider gazetting an act of the National Assembly,” Bi-Allah declared.

The Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to openness, responsibility, and professionalism while praising Nigerians for their active participation in the legislative process.