Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, revealed yesterday that the Federal Government has no immediate plan to implement a five per cent surcharge on petrol.

Edun, who specifically addressed reporters on the issue in Abuja, stated that the government’s priority at the moment was to make the new tax regime beneficial to the general public.

He added that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration was fully aware of the economic challenges faced by Nigerians and would not take decisions that could further increase their burden.

“We will not worsen the burden on Nigerians. As of today, no order has been issued, none is being prepared, and there is no plan, no immediate plan to implement any surcharge,” the minister said.

Edun explained that the inclusion of the surcharge in the recently enacted Nigeria Tax Administration Act does not translate into an automatic introduction of new levies.

According to him, a formal process must be followed before such a measure can take effect.

His words: “There’s even a process before any surcharge can come into effect. It requires a commencement order from the Honourable Minister of Finance. And this indeed must be published in a gazette.

“So, it’s not automatic that we wake up on January 1 and there’s a new tax and it’s going to be levied. No.

‘’There’s a whole formal process involved. And as of today, no order has been issued, none is being prepared, and there is no plan, no immediate plan to implement any surcharge”.

He pointed out that the enactment of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act in June marked a milestone in Nigeria’s tax reform journey, describing the new legislation as Nigeria’s most comprehensive tax reform in decades.

The minister stated that the new Act consolidated multiple tax laws into a single framework, eliminated overlapping taxes and charges, and simplified compliance for individuals and businesses.

According to him, the reforms were designed to strengthen tax governance, block revenue leakages, and improve efficiency rather than introduce new charges.

“Our priority is to strengthen tax governance, block revenue leakages, improve efficiency, rather than just levy new taxes, charges, and costs,” Edun said.

He explained that ahead of the full rollout of the new tax laws, the government would embark on public enlightenment campaigns to ensure citizens and businesses clearly understood their obligations.

Also yesterday, Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Taiwo Oyedele pointed out that the petrol surcharge was introduced in 2007 but that it was pre-emptively consolidated into the new comprehensive tax framework, without any actual commencement date.

“There is nothing that says this tax will start January 1, 2026. People need to get that right,” Oyedele said on a national television programme.

He faulted misconceptions in some quarters on the issue and called for patience in understanding the new tax laws.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the Federal Government failed to withdraw the five per cent tax on petroleum products.

But Oyedele said: “TUC is planning to go on strike to say it should be removed. I don’t know what they want the government to remove, because it hasn’t been imposed. No regulation says it would be imposed from January. The TUC should have complained and protested when this was introduced in 2007.

He explained that from January, Nigerians earning N100,000 or less a month will no longer pay personal income tax, while middle-class Nigerians earning up to N1.8 or N1.9 million annually will see reductions.