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Power Regulator Worries Over Discos’ Poor Remittance

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  • Power Regulator Worries Over Discos’ Poor Remittance

The poor remittance by electricity distribution companies to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc for the energy sold to them has become a serious concern for the regulator of the power sector.

The government-owned NBET buys electricity in bulk from generation companies through Power Purchase Agreements and sells to the Discos, which then supply to the consumers.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, in its report for the second quarter 2018, noted that the liquidity challenge in the Nigerian electricity supply industry continued to manifest during the period under review.

It said this was evidenced in the Discos’ level of remittances to NBET and the market operator, as compared with the invoices received for energy purchased from NBET and those received for administrative services from the MO.

According to the report, during the second quarter, the Discos were issued a total invoice of N161.4bn for energy received from NBET and for the administrative services by the MO, but only a sum of N53.7bn of the invoice was settled, creating a total deficit of N107.7bn.

It said a comparative analysis of market performance by the Discos in the second quarter indicated an overall settlement rate of only 30 per cent of the market invoice.

As stated in the Q1 2018 report, none of the Discos exceeded a threshold settlement of 50 per cent of its market invoices in the second quarter.

NERC said, “Jos recorded the worst remittance performance of 10 per cent and the commission is currently reviewing the viability of the Disco as a going concern.

“The challenge of poor remittance remained a serious concern to the commission as it is one of the main causes of the liquidity crisis facing the Nigerian electricity supply industry. Low remittance adversely affects the ability of NBET to honour its obligations to Gencos while service providers (the system operator, MO, NBET and NERC) struggle with paucity of funds, impacting their capacity to perform their statutory obligations.”

According to the regulator, Eko Disco recorded the highest remittance efficiency of 45 per cent in the first quarter of the year while Ikeja Disco marginally surpassed the remittance performance in the second quarter of 2018 at 46 per cent.

It said Jos and Kano Discos had the lowest remittance performance of 10 per cent and 18 per cent respectively in the second quarter despite the marginal improvement of three per cent and one per cent over the preceding quarter.

“The commission notes that tariff deficit is partly responsible for poor remittance in the industry but all the Discos are being steered to rapidly improve on their revenue collection from customers in order to fulfill their remittance obligations and mitigate the financial distress in the industry,” NERC added.

To address the poor remittance by Discos, the commission said it had commenced enforcement actions against Discos found to have engaged in unacceptably low remittances to NBET and the MO, factoring in all the parameters embedded in the tariff model.

It stated, “In this regard, the commission is working on a framework which ensures transparency and equity in the disbursement of market funds for the benefit of all market participants in the industry.”

The report said the collection efficiency of the Discos increased from 62 per cent to 64 per cent in the second quarter when compared with the preceding quarter and overall remittance to NBET increased by three per cent to 32 per cent of the total energy invoice.

The market operator received 43 per cent of the invoice payable to service providers during the same period.

The regulator said, “The total market (NBET’s and MO’s) invoices issued to international customers, comprising Communaute Electrique du Benin and Societe Nigerienne d’electricite and Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (classified as special customer), during the second quarter of 2018 increased to N13.3bn from the N12.2bn recorded in the first quarter.

“However, no payment was received from the international and special customers during the quarter under review.”

The commission said it continued with its role of tariff reviews to adequately promote optimal performance by the Transmission Company of Nigeria and Discos and significantly enhance the quality of service to customers.

It added, “Financial illiquidity remains one of the most significant challenges threatening the sustainability of the power industry. The liquidity challenge is partly attributed to the non-implementation of cost-reflective tariffs, high technical and commercial losses exacerbated by energy theft, and consumers’ apathy to payments under the widely prevailing practice of estimated billing.”

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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Finance Minister Edun Lauds Nigerians for Enduring Economic Reforms Amidst Hardships

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The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has commended Nigerians for enduring the hardships caused by the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu.

Minister Edun, who spoke on Thursday during an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Finance at the National Assembly in Abuja, highlighted that these reforms have begun to yield positive results.

Edun explained that two critical reforms initiated by the Tinubu government are now at the stage of delivering results.

He added that these reforms will restore the fiscal viability of the country.

“The two critical reforms on the market-based price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and foreign exchange are now at the stage of delivering results, which will, by extension, restore the viability of the nation’s economy through fiscal restoration.”

“These two pillars of the economic reforms, which are now taking positive shape, portend additional revenue for the government, recovery of NNPCL’s finances, and a strong foundation for growing the economy, attracting investment, and creating jobs.”

“I think we need to commend Nigerians for staying the course to this stage of realizing these benefits,” he stated.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Sani Musa, said that the session was important as it gave stakeholders the opportunity to deliberate on pressing issues.

He said, “Today, we gather to deliberate on pressing matters related to the sale of crude oil to domestic refineries in Nigeria in naira, its implications on the approved Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for 2024-2026, and what we should expect for 2025-2027.”

The committee reaffirmed the need for accountability in the NNPC, stating, “Additionally, we will examine shortfalls in NNPCL revenue remittances, focusing on key areas such as foreign and domestic excess crude accounts, the signature bonus accounts, NNPCL cash call accounts, and any outstanding or remitted revenue linked to under-recoveries.”

“This meeting underscores our commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible management of our national resources.”

Musa concluded that with relevant collaboration, solutions can be identified.

He stated, “I am confident that with the collaboration of the Ministry of Finance under the able leadership of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, and other critical stakeholders present here, we will identify solutions and ensure that due processes are upheld for the benefit of our economy and the Nigerian people.”

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

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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.” 

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

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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.

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