Business
Zainab Ahmed: Falling oil revenue, petrol subsidy affecting full implementation of 2022 budget
Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, says oil revenue shortfall and petrol subsidy deductions are challenging the full implementation of the 2022 budget.
Ahmed said this on Wednesday when she appeared at the house of representatives committee on finance to present the performance of the 2022 budget.
She said the achievement of the nation’s revenue target has been adversely impacted by the decline in the oil revenue target.
In August, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the country generated N799.10 billion from oil sector in the first quarter of 2022. The figure represented a 28.3 percent decline from N1.11 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021.
While oil revenue amounted to N799 billion in three months, TheCable reported that petrol subsidy payments gulped N675 billion same period.
Presenting the 2022 budget performance on Wednesday, Ahmed said the federal government is taking measures to improve the country’s revenue.
“The full implementation of the 2022 budget is challenged particularly by oil revenues that are falling target at 27.1 percent as of August. Crude oil production challenges and PMS subsidy deductions by the NNPC constitute a significant threat to the achievement of our revenue growth target as seen in the oil and gas performance 2022 as of August,” the finance minister said.
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“Revenue generation remains the major fiscal constraint of the federation. The systemic resource mobilisation problem has been compounded by recent economic recessions we have witnessed, one during the first term of this administration in 2016, and the most recent one in 2020. But effort has mainly focused on improving tax administration and collection.
“The finance act 2020 that pegs the revenue to expenditure ratio of the government own enterprises at 50:50 has helped us greatly in ramping up revenues from the government-owned enterprises and the fact can be seen in the performance of the GOEs revenue of 1.3 trillion as of 2021.
“We are also putting effort into improving non-oil taxes and this is showing in the result of the performance of the non-oil target showing clearly that the non-oil revenues are performing below target and in fact, the non-oil revenues are now over 70 percent of the revenue performance of the federal government budget.”
Fielding questions from the lawmakers on what the federal government is doing to address inflation in the country, Ahmed said President Muhammadu Buhari has authorised the national food security council to meet and generate solutions to address the high cost of food prices.
She explained that the high cost of diesel was contributing to high prices of food.
“In Nigeria, we also have inflation and one of the buckets of inflation is food inflation. This can be seen in the high cost of energy and diesel,” Ahmed said.
“We find this showing up in food prices. Prices are going up because diesel prices are high. So when farmers produce their goods and they have to transport the goods to the market. The NBS data shows that food prices have actually declined but the cost of production is continuously increasing and impacting the cost of goods and unfortunately affecting our people.
“From the monetary side, what the CBN is doing is continuing to manage inflation by monetary tightening and by mopping up liquidity.
“On the side of the government, the president has authorised the national food security council and we have held meetings — even yesterday — on how some support will be provided.
“One of the means will be releasing stocks from the strategic reserves but also looking at how to provide some support in form of input in fertilizer production as well as input.”
The minister added that the food security council, will “in the next couple of days” provide recommendations to the president that will, later on, be announced for implementation.
Business
Finally, NERC unbundles TCN, creates new system operator
Finally, NERC unbundles TCN, creates new system operator
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has set up the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (NISO) as it unbundles the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The transmission leg of the power sector has over the years been seen as weakest link with obsolete equipment.
The unbundling announcement is contained in an Order dated April 30, 2023 and jointly signed by NERC chairman, Sanusi Garba, and vice chairman, Musiliu Oseni.
By this order, the TCN is expected to transfer all market and system operation functions to the new company.
The commission had previously issued transmission service provider (TSP) and system operations (SO) licences to the TCN, in accordance with the Electric Power Sector Reform Act.
The Electricity Act 2023, which came into effect on June 9, provided clearer guidelines for the incorporation and licensing of the independent system operator (ISO), as well as the transfer of assets and liabilities of TCN’s portion of the ISO.
In the circular, the commission ordered the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to incorporate, unfailingly on May 31, a private company limited by shares under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.
NERC said the company is expected “to carry out the market and system operation functions stipulated in the Electricity Act and the terms and conditions of the system operation licence issued to the TCN.
“The name of the company shall, subject to availability at Corporate Affairs Commission, be the Nigerian Independent System Operator of Nigeria Limited (“NISO”),” NERC said.
Citing the object clause of the NISO’s memorandum of association (MOU) as provided in the Electricity Act, NERC said the company would “hold and manage all assets and liabilities pertaining to market and system operation on behalf of market participants and consumer groups or such stakeholders as the Commission may specify.”
Business
Naira depreciates again, trades at N1,402/$
Naira depreciates again, trades at N1,402/$
The Nigerian currency, naira, on Thursday slightly depreciated at the official market, trading at N1,402.67 to the dollar.
Data from the official trading platform of the FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), showed that the naira lost N11.71
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This represents a 0.84 per cent loss when compared to the previous trading date on Tuesday April 30, when it exchanged at 1,390.96 to a dollar.
However, the total daily turnover increased to 232.84 million dollars on Thursday, up from 225.36 million dollars recorded on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at the Investor’s and Exporter’s (I&E) window, the naira traded between 1,445.00 and N1,299.42 against the dollar.
Naira depreciates again, trades at N1,402/$
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Appeal court takes over NURTW case as NIC withdraws
Appeal court takes over NURTW case as NIC withdraws
The National Industrial Court has withdrawn from a case involving Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, Board of Trustees chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa’s ambition to return as president of the union over lack of jurisdiction.
The industrial court’s decision was made to avoid conflict with the Court of Appeal, where the matter is already being heard.
Before the NIC announced its decision to hands-off the case, the defendants’ counsel, Mr. O.I. Olorundare SAN, had informed the court that the matter is currently before the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, and that the industrial court could not continue to adjudicate on the same matter.
The counsel cited authorities to support his claim, adding that the National Industrial Court does not have concurrent jurisdiction with the Court of Appeal.
The presiding judge, O.O. Oyewunmi, struck out the case, stating that the Appeal Court had taken over the matter and that the Industrial Court must respect the hierarchy of courts.
Alhaji Yasin and six others took the case to the Appeal Court, challenging the decision of the industrial court recognising a delegates’ conference held on May 24, 2023, where Baruwa was proclaimed as President of the union for a second term in office.
With the latest NIC judgement, both parties will now proceed to defend their positions at the Court of Appeal and await the final judgement.
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