There seems to be a clash of opinions between boards of banks and chief executive officers on the decision of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Governmentโs decision to impose a 70 percent tax on foreign exchange gains by banks.
Reports indicate that chairmen of boards of banks like Femi Otedola, chairman of FBN Holdings, and Tony Elumelu, chairman, United Bank for Africa, are not happy at the position of the bank CEOs on the development.
However, Bank directors under the umbrella of the Bank Directors Asยญsociation of Nigeria (BDAN) have distanced themselves from the views of certain bank chairmen on the proposed foreign exchange windยญfall tax, indicating a deepening diยญvide within the banking industry.
The association clarified that the views expressed by some chairmen in support of the tax are personal opinions and do not represent the stance of the entire banking community.
BDAN assured the public that its official position will be made known after its scheduled board meeting on August 12, leaving many speculating about the outยญcome.
Mustafa Chike-Obi, BDAN chairman, made this clarification via his verified X handle stating: โI have read the personal views of some bank chairmen on the windfall tax issue.
โThose views do not represent the banking community. BDAN will communicate its views after our board meeting on the 12th, on this and other very important issues concerning our community.โ
As a result of the decision of the Federal Government to imยญpose a 70 percent tax on foreign exchange gains, bank chairmen have voiced support for the recent amendment of the Finance Bill as regards their foreign exchange (FX) gains reported by banks in their 2023 annual financial stateยญments.
Among the prominent supporters was Femi Otedola, chairman of FBN Holdings and an influential figure in the Nigeriยญan financial and capital markets, who endorsed the new policy of the Bola Tinubu administration.
Otedola also criticised bank officials for profligacy and exยญtravagant spending, including the purchase and maintenance of private jets.
โNigerian banks are spending an estimated $50 million annually just on maintaining private jets, with over $500 million spent on purchasing nine private jets by four banks,โ Otedola said.
โThis level of extravagance significantly erodes public trust in our financial institutions and diverts crucial resources away from vital areas such as operaยญtional efficiency, technological inยญnovation, and customer service.โ
Mr. Tony Elumelu, chairman of the United Bank for Africa, also approved of the move, saying it was aimed at alleviating poverty.
The businessman and philanยญthropist said there was a need to โdemocratise prosperity for Nigeยญrians, ensuring access to a good life for all.โ
According to Elumelu, โWe support the governmentโs intenยญtion to alleviate poverty with the windfall tax, but we also believe that no one segment should suffer, and the government should continue to create jobs while businesses thrive,โ he said.
โMutual prosperity is key โ prosperity for business owners, ordinary Nigerians, and foreign and local investors. Everyone should be happy. Iโm pleased with the meetingโs outcome, and I hope for a better and happier society going forward,โ Elumelu added.
This followed a meeting that the government held last week Wednesday with banking sector representatives, led by Elumelu and Group CEO of FCMB, Ladi Balogun, to discuss the windfall tax.
The meeting was described as โamicable, knowledge-based, and data-drivenโ by Finance Minister, Wale Edun, who noted that Presยญident Bola Tinubu was actively engaged in the discussion.
โThe Finance Act (Amendยญment) Bill 2024, passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, stipulates in Section 2, subsection 31(a) that the Federal Inland Revenue Serยญvice โshall assess the realised profยญits, collect, account, and enforce payment of tax payable under section 30.โโ
This is by the powers of the service under the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007. Section 31(b) further alยญlows the service to enter into a deยญferred payment agreement with assessed banks, provided that such an agreement is executed on or before December 31, 2024.
Unlike oil sector windfall taxยญes, which result from external economic factors like a major rise in international oil prices, the Nigerian FX windfall tax is the consequence of an internal government decision to harmonise exchange markets, thereby devaluing the domestic currency. This has led to a restatement of corporate comprehensive inยญcomes for the previous year.