The United States has hailed the tax reform bills passed by the national assembly but bemoaned multiple taxations in Nigeria, claiming that U.S. companies remit 67 federal taxes, including a wheelbarrow levy.

U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos during a policy speech and fireside chat on the recently launched U.S. Commercial Diplomacy Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as opportunities for expanding trade and investment ties and deepening long-term mutual prosperity between the two countries.

Mr Mills said, “One U.S. business told me that, for their operations in Nigeria, they pay 67 different federal taxes, including a tax on wheelbarrows. It is some leftover from a different age.

“So, the tax reform bill is important. Those kinds of macro-economic reforms are what we’ve wanted to see, what U.S. businesses have wanted to see.”

Relatedly, President Donald Trump has proposed a bill that will tax remittances by Nigerians and other foreigners living in the U.S..

Although Mr Mills commended the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s bold economic reforms, he acknowledged, “I know they’ve been painful for a lot of Nigerians. I do believe our assessment is they will begin, hopefully, to have this grow to even more opportunities.”

The U.S. diplomat, while urging the Nigerian government not to relent in its efforts to curb corruption, noted that the rules set by regulatory bodies were opaque, making it difficult for companies to comply with them.

“The country also need to continue working to rid out corruption, money laundering, port congestion, lack of regulatory fairness and a level playing field. The regulatory rules here still seem very opaque hard to follow. These are the kinds of things we’re bringing to the government’s attention,” Mr Mills stated.