Economy

Govt’s Local Debt Hits N10.8tn, Owes Foreign Creditors $11.5bn

Published

8 years ago

February 22, 2017

Govt’s Local Debt Hits N10.8tn, Owes Foreign Creditors $11.5bn

As of September 30, 2016, the Federal Government’s indebtedness to local creditors stood at N10.8tn, while external debt was $11.5bn.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zaynab Ahmed, disclosed this at the presentation of the budget implementation and performance monitoring report for the third quarter of 2016, which was held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

Ahmed said the N10.8tn domestic debt component represented an increase of N238.89bn or 2.25 per cent over the second quarter figure.

She added that the third quarter debt figure was also N2.23tn (25.93 per cent) above the N8.6tn recorded in the same period of 2015.

The minister said, “The external debts, which were mostly low interest funds from multilateral financial institutions, stood at $11.58bn, representing an increase of $320.70m (or 2.85 per cent) from external debt stock in the second quarter of 2016 and an increase of $965.24m (or 9.09 per cent) over the $10.617bn documented in the third quarter of 2015.

“The increase in the external debt stock in the third quarter of 2016 was due largely to the rise in non-Paris Club bilateral debts’ drawdown.”

Ahmed also said the Federal Government spent N1.1trn on debt servicing between January and September 2016.

While N1.044tn was expended on local debt servicing, N50.22bn was spent on external debt.

According to the minister, the amount spent on the servicing of both debt components was more than what was proposed in the budget.

Ahmed said, “A total of N980.55bn was proposed for domestic debt servicing within the period but N1.044tn was actually used for the servicing of the debts.

“This means a difference of N63.45bn (or 6.47 per cent) above the three quarters’ of the year projection. Similarly, the sum of N40.86bn was proposed for the servicing of external debt during the period, while the actual external debt service payment amounted to N50.22bn, thereby, indicating a difference of N9.36bn (or 22.91 per cent) above budgeted estimate for the time period.

“These figures are also expected to be reconciled at the end of the year.”

She also disclosed that government revenues dropped by 60 per cent on account of the uncertainties in the global oil market that were further compounded by crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and militancy in the Niger Delta region.

The minister explained that net oil receipt dropped by 66.6 per cent to N201.37bn in the third quarter of 2016 as against N603.53bn in same period of 2015.

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Samed Olukoya

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Economy

President Tinubu Approves Concrete Redesign for Abuja-Kaduna Road Amid Contract Termination

Published

22 hours ago

November 7, 2024

Bassey Marshall

The Federal Government has announced plans to address the difficulties faced by road users on the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road with the redesign of the dual carriageway.

This announcement was made by the Minister of Works, David Umahi via a statement on Wednesday.

The Ministry revealed that the 127 kilometers project has been approved by President Bola Tinubu.

This development comes two days after the Ministry of Works announced the termination of its contract with Julius Berger for the Section I (Abuja-Kaduna) of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway project in FCT, Kaduna, and Kano States.

Investors King understands that the contract for the rehabilitation of the road was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc on December 20, 2017.

The project, initially valued at N155.7 billion, with a 36-month completion period was further categorized into three sections.

However, only Section II (Kaduna-Zaria) has been completed and partially handed over.

Section III (Zaria-Kano) is partially finished while Section I remains in a severely deteriorated state.

A statement from the Ministry explained that the decision to terminate the contract with Berger was based on non-compliance with reviewed cost, scope, and terms, stoppage of work, and refusal to remobilise to site.

The ministry on Wednesday, November 6, confirmed that Section I has been redesigned and re-scoped.

The statement reads, “The President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR has approved that the remaining 127 kilometres of the Rehabilitation of Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Dual Carriageway, Section I (Abuja – Kaduna) be redesigned using continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) instead of the present asphaltic one.”

“The contract, divided into three (3) sections, was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) PLC on 20th December 2017 at an initial sum of N155, 748,178,425.50 billion (one hundred and fifty-five billion, seven hundred and forty-eight million, one hundred and seventy-eight thousand, four hundred and twenty-five naira, fifty kobo) with a completion period of thirty-six (36) months.”

Economy

Tax Expert Warns Tinubu: VAT, PAYE Hikes Will Deepen Hardship for Nigerians

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2024

Yetunde Olugbenga

Company Income Tax (CIT) - Investors King

Due to Nigeria’s economic situation, tax expert Adebisi Oderinde has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt plans to increase the VAT and Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax rates.

Oderinde, who is also the CEO of AOC-Adebisi Oderinde & Co, made the statement during the inauguration of the company’s Head Office in the Kara area of Ogun State.

He said the country’s economic conditions are challenging and particularly unfavorable for SMEs and warned that implementing tax reform could destabilize many small businesses as inflation has already eroded purchasing power in Nigeria.

With over 28 years of experience as a tax consultant, Oderinde noted that new tax reforms would likely worsen hardship across the country.

“My advice is to make hay while the sun shines, as the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and slow and steady wins the race. The country is hard! As a tax practitioner, I continue to pray for our President, but he must heed the advice of elders, especially when it concerns tax reform,” he said.

“This is not the right time to reform any tax, nor to adjust rates. Nigerians’ purchasing power is very low. While some may think of VAT reform as beneficial, it would have a negative impact, especially on Lagos State. One part of the reform aims to cancel the consumption tax, which would hit Lagos hard, as the state earns more from consumption tax than any other state in the federation,” he added.

Oderinde further advised northern Nigeria not to support the proposed policy, warning it could disproportionately affect the region.

“They also want to increase PAYE, and recent data from the NBS in 2023 shows that the total IGR from the 36 states plus the FCT is about N2.4tn, with PAYE accounting for about 63%. If PAYE is raised, it will impact many states significantly. Instead of focusing on VAT, the northern states should consider that an increase in PAYE would affect them even more than VAT,” he explained.

Economy

Power Restored Hours After Lastest Grid Collapse

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

Electricity has been restored in some parts of the states that were hitherto affected by the nation’s power grid collapse.

Investors King gathered that some states including Lagos, Osun, Federal Capital Territory among others now have light.

Recall that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had on Tuesday announced the latest National Grid collapse.

Checks by Investors King, however, revealed that the last disruption was the tenth time Nigeria would be experiencing total blackout due to grid collapse in about nine months in 2024 alone.

The situation has been raising concerns from Nigerians and other stakeholders even as others alleged that the collapse has led to inferno in people’s homes among other property destruction.

The General Manager of TCN Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, had assured members of the public that the grid collapse which occurred at 1:52 pm on November 5 would be speedily fixed.

The GM revealed that the grid collapse was caused by line and generator trippings, adding that efforts were on to rectify it.

Mbah had disclosed how the national grid experienced a partial disturbance due to a series of line and generator trippings that caused instability in the grid and, consequently, the partial disturbance of the system.

Each time the disruption through citizens into darkness, businesses are affected as many Nigerians task the Federal Government to tackle the menace.