Maritime agency, Customs collaborates on importation, waterways insecurity

By Lucy Ogalue

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have agreed to collaborate to tackle issues of Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) and waterways insecurity in the country.

The NIMASA Director-General, Mr Bashir Jamoh, said this during a visit to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to Jamoh, the biggest challenge of the maritime sector is the temporary importation which makes importers avoid paying necessary duty fees.

Those that are benefiting from this temporary importation, they bring in their own ship and then after one year they will take it back to their own country and import back with a different name.

So they do it constantly and this is to the disadvantage of our Nigerian Ship Owners.

On the part of the agency, we are losing much because we are benefiting from the cabotage.

They are doing international trade, but cabotage trade is suffering so at the end of the day, indigenous ship owners have a very big problem.

The NIMASA boss noted that the Merchant Shipping Act, Sections 19, 20 and 30 provides that whenever you have such facility it should be registered with the Nigeria Ship Registry.

According to him, the laws in the Custom Act and the Merchant Shipping Act can stand and work alone but it will work more effectively together.

Responding, the Comptroller-General of Customs pledged the commitment of the service to pulling forces with NIMASA to drive the sector.

It is my hope that we will strengthen the relationship and increase the synergy between us as maritime operators.

And most importantly to ensure that not only revenue aspect of it but to secure our waters, because it is very important.

The security of our people is more important than the revenue, because no matter how much you collect, if our people are not settled, or not in peace, then the whole essence with revenue is bastardised, he said.

On the TIP, he said it was important for the NCS and NIMASA to develop a technology platform that was in synergy.

We should have more identity of the ship beyond the name, as name can be erased and another name used.

We must now collectively get some identity of the ship that goes beyond name that should be registered in our records and yours so that if there is recycling of the ship, using that platform, we should be able to identify the ship and be able to apply the law as it is, Ali said.

The customs boss said that the Service was in the process of launching two patrol boats which would go beyond the creeks.

He said: We have mounted the necessary machine guns, one had an accident but it has been repaired and very soon we will launch them into operations. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a new policy on local production of bitumen to further diversify the nations economy.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved a new policy on local production of bitumen to further diversify the nations economy.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this at the end of the Council meeting which lasted for over eight hours.

He said the policy was approved to develop strategies to enhance, stimulate, and encourage local production of bitumen in the country.

He expressed optimism that the policy, when fully operational, would enable the country save millions of dollars from importation of bitumen, which is a raw material used in road construction, worldwide.

The Ministry of Works and Housing presented a memorandum on the initiative of the President as to our source of bitumen which is used in road construction.

It was a policy memorandum which revealed that a significant amount of bitumen we used in road construction in Nigeria is imported, therefore creating jobs abroad and recommended to council to approve a directive to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to develop strategies to enhance, stimulate, and encourage local production of bitumen.

Essentially, that policy recommendation was approved by the council today to encourage bitumen production locally in Nigeria.

This will of course help to further diversify the economy and open another sub-sector of the extractive and hydro-carbon industry for local opportunities, he said

According to Fashola, theres a demand of 500,000 metric tonnes of bitumen locally in Nigeria per annum.

The minister, therefore, called the private sector to take advantage of the new policy by investing heavily in local production of bitumen.

We encourage those who can manufacture and produce bitumen locally to tap into this demand.

We see the opportunity for thousands of jobs to be created directly if this is done, and government intends to give encouragement and support to all those who take up this opportunity.

We expect Kaduna Refinery to also raise its game by participating in this sub-sector of hydro-carbon industry.

We expect that it will improve the quality of bitumen that is produced and goes into our road construction; just as we are now able to control the quality of cement that goes into local construction, he said.

The minister revealed that the federal government was also promoting the use of more cement, stones, and rocksin road construction.

He said: Our ministry is now developing a design manual for rock and stone in road construction in the country.

These are the framework of policy documentations that we presented to council today and they were approved.

So, we expect the Nigerian entrepreneurial community to now respond to all of the existing government policies for setting up businesses and embracing this policy as part of ways to develop our made-in-Nigeria capacity,

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, also revealed that the Council approved a variation of 18.12million dollars and additional N3.25billion for the supply and installation of three numbers Rapsican mobile Cargo Scanners.

Today at council, we presented two memos, the first memo was for seeking councils approval for the revision of a contract that was previously approved by council in 2018 for the supply and installation of three numbers Rapsican mobile Cargo Scanners.

These are large size cargo scanners that will be placed in Onne port, Port Harcourt and Tin Can port. They are scanners that can actually drive containers through.

This contract is awarded to a company that is named Messrs Airwave limited and the contract is in the sum of .12 million of foreign component, there is also local component of N3. 255 billion inclusive of five per cent VAT, he said.

The minister maintained that the review became necessary in order to accommodate VAT which was not included in the initial contract,and also due to dispute arising from exchange rate differential.

She said: So, we have now a resolution and an understanding and FEC approval for this contract to go on.

According to her, the scanners are designed to aid effective revenue collection, the features that will screen for narcotics, weapons and undeclared items, saying they can also detect arms and ammunition, illegal importation and possession of arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria.

She further disclosed that the Council approved N280.9million for the design, construction and supply of five numbers of fast ballistic reverie assault boats and five numbers patrol boats with all associated accessories to the Nigerian Customs Service

The second memo we presented to council today is also for the Nigerian Customs Service.

It is for the design, construction and supply of five numbers of fast ballistic reverie assault boats and five numbers patrol boats with all associated accessories in favour of Messre CY West African limited in the sum of N280, 992, 888,75 inclusive of 7.5 VAT.

The Nigerian Customs Service needs these boats to enhance its operational efficiency and combat smuggling activities on our waterways, she added.

The minister expressed the hope that the boats would also significantly boost revenue collection and other core duties of maritime unit of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Source: NAN News

Alhaji Isa funtua,

By Funmilayo Adeyemi
The International Press Institute (IPI), said it received with shock and profound sadness, the news of the sudden death of Nigerian statesman, media icon, and IPI Patron, Malam Ismaila Isa Funtua.

Mr Kabiru Yusuf, Chairman, IPI Nigeria in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, said Isas colossal influence and contributions to national development had transversed the fields of public service, business, politics and the media.

Yusuf said the icon would be most remembered as the arrowhead of Nigerias successful hosting of the historic 2018 IPI World Congress and General Assembly in Abuja.

IPI mourns the departure of this patriot and international media figure. We commiserate with his family, the Government and People of Nigeria and the media community.

We beseech the Almighty Allah to grant Malam Ismaila Isa, Aljanah Firdaus.

He added that Isa was a man of immense international stature and a life patron of IPI- the global network of editors, senior journalists and media executives, with a lifetime devotion to a free press.

He further said that the deceased led Nigerian delegation to IPI events outside Nigeria and as well an elected member of the IPI Executive Board and a major financier and sponsor of the Vienna- based global body.

The statement was co signed by Alhaji Wada Maida, Member, IPI Executive Board and Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin, Secretary, IPI Nigeria.

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

Death Rate, 2.13 per cent.

Source: NAN News

By Oluwafunke Ishola/Florence Onuegbu

Lagos State Government has discharged 29 Coronavirus patients, comprising 24 Nigerians and five foreign nationals, from its isolation centres.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said in a statement on Tuesday that the patients were discharged after testing negative twice to the disease.

Good people of Lagos, today, 29 #COVID19Lagos patients; 7 females and 22 males, including 5 foreign nationals were discharged from our Isolation facilities to reunite with the society.

The patients; six from Gbagada, one from Agidingbi, seven from Eti-Osa (LandMark), nine from Onikan and six from Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital Isolation Centres were discharged after full recovery.

Dont be caught off guard! #TakeResponsibility against #COVID19 by wearing #facemasks, observing #PhysicalDistancing, practicing #handhygiene

The Oyo State Executive Council has approved the issuance of a N100 billion private bond tagged Oyo Prosperity Bond to facilitate the execution of priority projects that will further drive economic development.

In a statement issued in Ibadan by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the council gave approval for the bond during its weekly virtual meeting.

The fund would be raised in two tranches of N50 billion each for the construction of the 50km- Iseyin-Ogbomoso road, the Ibadan Circular Ring-Road and Ibadan Airport upgrade.

The fund will also covered the development of Ibadan dry port and rail corridor that will serve as economic hubs of the state.

Also with the fund; the state will construct and upgrade one government hospital with modern equipment, in each of the three senatorial districts of the state.

In addition, the 21km Ibadan Airport to Ajia along New Ife Express Road with a spur to Amuloko in Ibadan will also benefit from the alternative project funding approach of the state government. the statement read.

The Information commissioner further stressed the construction of Iseyin Ogbomoso road is very important because when completed, it will serve as a link road and help to save many hours spent on traveling and the lives of commuters, who daily experience vehicular accidents on various roads that link the already dilapidated Ogbomoso road.

The 21km airport Ajia New Ife Express road with a spur to Amuloko will be executed by Messrs Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd at a total cost of N8.5 billion.

The project funding, will be in form of Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA), which allows for Public-Private Partnership for funding of infrastructural projects in the state.

With this approach in place, there will be transfer of projects risk to private entity while the hassle of debt management office (DMO) approval would be avoided and the quality delivery as well as quick completion of project would be ascertained, Olatubosun explained.

The statement further indicated that the executive council also approved the establishment of the Oyo State Development Agency for Socio-Economic Advancement (OYODASA).

According to the statement, the agency will give room for the residents of the state to have better understanding of governments goals and help establish a shared vision between communities within the State and the State administration.

The purpose of the agency was to booster participation in governance at the grassroots levels, and government will establish offices for the agency in seven zones and in all the local government areas of the state.

The agency will ensure governments programmes and policies are better understood by the general public, mobilise favourable opinions for such programmes and policies, encourage informal education through public enlightenment activities and publications.

Also the agency will establish appropriate framework for educating and orientating residents of the state towards developing socially desirable attitudes, values and cultures.

It will also encourage the people to take part actively and freely in discussions and decisions affecting their general welfare while promoting new sets of attitude and culture for the attainment of the goals and objectives of the state.

OYODASA will work to instill in the populace, a sense of loyalty to their fatherland, ensure and uphold leadership by example and foster respect for constituted authority, the commissioner stated.

Source: NAN News

Gov. Sheyi Makinde

By Ibukun Emiola

Oyo State Government has cancelled Third Term for the 2019/2020 school session and released 2020/2021 academic calendar.

promotion of students will be determined by 1st and 2nd Term Continuous Assessments.

Oyo State Government says it has cancelled Third Term for the 2019/2020 school session, as promotion of students for all affected classes will now be determined by First and Second Term Continuous Assessments.

MrOlasunkanmi Olaleye, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, announced the decision after the State Executive Council meeting in Ibafan on Tuesday.

He said the state government has also approved the academic calendar to guide resumption of schools and other associated educational activities for the 2020/2021 session in the state.

According to the commissioner, Pry-6, JSS-3 and SSS-3 students will proceed on holiday from July 30 and resume for their examination as would be announced.

He said Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) would hold between August 10 to 18.

The commissioner added that: Competitive Entrance Examination into the Schools of Science- 19th August.

Placement/Screening Test to JSS one- 20th August.

Placement Test into Technical Colleges- 28th August.

The SSS-3 will resume for their Examination as soon as WAEC announce the date.

He said the 2020/21 academic session, as approved by the State Council, is:First Term- 21th September to 18th December.

Second Term- 11th January to 9th April 2021.

Third Term- 3rd May to 30th July 2021.

The commissioner enjoined all stakeholders and members of the public to take note of the details of the academic calendar.

Source: NAN News

FIRS

By Mustapha Sumaila

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has published detailed information to guide taxpayers and the general public on rates payable as stamp duty.

Mr Abdullahi Ahmad, Director Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ahmed said that the clarification was made following several requests by taxpayers seeking such on the current administration of Stamp Duties Act in the country.

He stated that the clarification guide was contained in a Public Notice signed by Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami and was published on the official FIRS website, www.firs.gov.ng.

He quoted Nami as saying stamp duty is a tax payable in respect of dutiable instrument as provided under the Stamp Duties Act, CAP S8, LFN 2004 (as amended).

Such instruments include Agreements, Contracts, Receipts, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Promissory notes, Insurance policies and others stipulated in the Schedule to the Stamp Duties Act.

Stamp Duty is chargeable on both physical and electronic instruments in two ways i.e. Ad-valorem, where duty payable is a percentage of the consideration on an instrument; or Flat Rate, where a fixed sum is chargeable irrespective of the consideration on dutiable instrument or document he explained.

Nami listed no fewer than 50 types of chargeable transactions which require stamp duty.

He explained that some of the chargeable transactions were bank deposit or transfer, loan agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to land, sales agreement, will, tenancy/lease agreement and all receipts.

Nami clarified that the recently inaugurated FIRS Adhesive Stamp was not the same as postage stamp administered by NIPOST for the purposes of delivery of items and documents.

He said that such was therefore not a substitute for the FIRS adhesive stamp, which was produced for the sole purpose of stamp duty payment.

The burden of payment of stamp duties whether fixed or ad-valorem is that of the beneficiaries of a contract, or Money Deposit Banks customers who transfer an amount of N10,000 and above from his account to another customers account.

It is the responsibility of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Money Deposit Banks (MDBs), Companies, Landlords, Executors, among others to ensure that service providers, contractors and tenants pay stamp duties due on agreements, receipts and other dutiable instruments.

Failure to deduct or remit stamp duties into the Federal or State Stamp Duties Account attracts relevant penalties and interest as stipulated in the Stamp Duties Act, Cap S8, LFN 2004 (as amended) Nami stated.

Source: NAN News

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

By Jessica Dogo

The Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC), has started its Accounting Separation Framework (ASF), in Nigerian Telecoms Industry.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said this in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Danbatta said that the ASF, which took effect from July 15, was in order to further ensure transparency and accountability in regard to effective regulation and prevention of anti-competitive behaviour.

He explained that NCC was committed to create an enabling environment for competition among operators to ensure the provision of qualitative and efficient telecoms services as stipulated in Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.

According to him, determination on the Implementation of an ASF for the Nigerian Telecoms Industry, was developed via a consultative process in 2015.

It has undergone a comprehensive review by the regulator in collaboration with telecoms licencees and other critical industry stakeholders, he said.

He called on telecoms licencees to henceforth submit their Regulatory Financial Statement (RFS) to the commission in line with the new ASF, within seven months after the end of the lincencees financial year.

The six licencees include Airtel Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited (9Mobile), Globacom Nigeria, Main One Cable Company Limited and IHS Nigeria.

Danbatta expressed optimism about the framework noting that the new ASF would promote an industry environment that fosters open and transparent financial reporting, while ensuring that charges for telecom services were cost-based and non-discriminatory.

With the commencement of the implementation telecoms licencees are henceforth obligated to submit their Regulatory Financial Statement (RFS) to the Commission in line with the new ASF, within seven months after the end of the licencees financial year.

The submission of RFS, in line with the new framework, is currently limited to and mandatory for only six telecom licencees.

This will subsist for an initial period of two years after which the regulator may review the list to include other operators, he said.

Stating reasons for limiting compliance to six operators for now, the EVC said the decision was taken to ensure necessary structure was in place to review and analyse the accounts before applying the new framework to all licencees in the industry.

He also stated that any other licencee willing to prepare its financial statements in line with the new framework was allowed to voluntarily do so.

He noted that the Commission might exercise its discretion to demand that a licencee should prepare and submit separated account where it was determined that the activities of such a service provider were deemed critical to the overall well-being of the Nigerian telecoms industry.

He advised that for full and effective implementation of the Framework, every operator under the ambit of accounting separation is required to prepare an Operator-specific Accounting Separation Manual (OASM).

He, however said that the OASM contained policies, principles, methodologies and procedures for accounting and cost allocation, which must be submitted to the Commission on or before October 30, for regulatory approval.

He said that licencees would also be required to prepare their financial and non-financial reports in line with the guidelines for the ASF while reports shall be furnished by the licencees for every account year beginning from the 2020 financial year end.

Danbatta said that as part of operators licencing conditions, the Commission required licencees to prepare, in respect of each complete financial year or of such less periods as might be specified, separate accounting statements for all their activities.

The commission considers the ASF as an effective, least evasive and less costly solution to implement and meet its regulatory objectives.

The implementation of the Framework is also a key deliverable for the Commission in the new National Broadband Plan (NBP), 2020-2025, he said.

The EVC informed that the commission took into consideration the inputs from industry stakeholders and had provided capacity-building for operators and for relevant staff of the commission to ensure seamless implementation of the Framework.

He reiterated the commitment of the commission towards continually developing policies, initiatives and programmes aimed at boosting healthy competition among telecoms operators in the country.

He said that the commission was also to ensure that consumers continued to enjoy efficient and affordable telecom services.

Source: NAN News

Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Nigeria has received million grant from Global Fund to reduce the burden of HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria over an implementation period of three years, beginning from 2021 to 2023.

Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, announced the receipt of the grant at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GF) is an innovative international financing mechanism established by the United Nations in 2002, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is a global partnership of governments, civil society and private donors.

It was established for the purpose of attracting, leveraging and investing resources to fund public health interventions to accelerate the eradication of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in affected high burden countries, towards Sustainable Development Goals.

Ehanire said that the fund was the largest made to any country in the funding cycle, attributing it to the successful funding request made by the Nigeria Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM).

CCM Nigeria, the custodian of Global Fund (GF) grant, is a body of representatives of government, bilateral and multilateral organisations, Civil Society Organisations, patients, communities, the private sector and academia.

The mandate of CCM is to oversee the delivery of Global Fund HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Resilient Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) grant.

According to him, the CCM, Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria is the official national establishment, through which The Global Fund relates with Fund recipient countries.

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, facilitated the establishment of Nigerias CCCM in March 2002 as the recognised entity with the mandate to receive Global Fund grants on behalf of the country.

The minister said the Global Fund raised and invested nearly four billion dollars a year to support programmes in countries and communities that are most in need.

Ehanire said Nigeria ranked among the largest recipients of Global Fund investments in the world.

Since inception in 2002, The Global Fund has committed the sum of USD,585,537,824 to operations in Nigeria, which are split into four programme areas: (a) HIV/AIDS, (b) Tuberculosis, (c) Malaria, (d) Resilient Systems Strengthening for Health, (RSSH).

Of that amount, Nigeria has, as of date, accessed US,436,371,946, representing 94 per cent of the committed amount.

Key achievements of the Global Fund investments in Nigeria are as follows:

For the HIV/AIDS component, the Fund investment has contributed to placing 1.04 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) on treatment in Nigeria. With the support of the Fund, Nigeria has provided life-saving ARVs for 194,900 PLHIV on ART.

In addition, the fund supported the 2018 NAIIS survey which provided precise data on the epidemic in Nigeria, confirming HIV prevalence of 1.3 per cent, he said

On the TB programme, the minister said with the support of the fund, about 120,000 TB cases were identified and treated annually since the inception while TB services provided in more than 12,000 health facilities.

We have provided 398 GeneXpert machines in 36 states and FCT.

For malaria, he said the Global Fund had contributed to a decline in malaria prevalence from 42 per cent to 23 per cent from 2010 2018.

Eleven million Long Lasting Insecticide Treated mosquito nets are distributed annually through mass campaigns.

At least 4 million confirmed malaria cases treated annually at public health facilities in 13 states supported by the Global Fund.

The Fund has also built six Pharma grade medical warehouses, supported procurement of three X-ray mobile vans for screening of tuberculosis in Lagos.

This is in addition to infrastructural upgrade of health facilities and laboratories and capacity building for frontline health care workers under RSSH.

According to him, Global Fund conducts fund replenishment meetings every three years, where it mobilises contributions from governments, private sector and philanthropists to support its public health programmes around the globe.

Nigeria also contributes as these events and has so far contributed a cumulative sum of 28.62 million dollars to the Global Fund since its inception, including 10 million dollars pledged at the replenishment in Montreal, Canada, in September 2016.

At the last replenishment conference in Lyon, France, in October 2019, Nigeria increased its contribution to the Global Fund by 20 per cent with a pledge of 12 million dollars for the period 2021-2023.

In addition, the minister said the amount approved (890 million dollars) would be to support Nigerias HIV, TB, Malaria and Health Systems Strengthening Programmes.

With this amount, Nigerias grant is reportedly the single highest allocation to any country and a demonstration of The Global Funds confidence in the administration and programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari.

This grant will complement the investment of the Government of Nigeria and of other Development Partners in HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria programmes, including the Resilient and Sustainable System for Health, over the period 2021-2023.

The approval of this grant came following the review of the proposal that CCM Nigeria submitted on 23rd March 2020, which was adjudged to be technically sound and strategically focused by the independent Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund, he said.

Ehanire further said with regard to Nigerias COVID-19 response effort, the Global Fund gave approval to repurpose the sum of 6.2Million dollars out of our on-going grants for HIV, TB and malaria, to support implementation of our initial Incident Action Plan (IAP) for COVID-19.

This Fund was used to support rapid expansion of Nigerias diagnostics capacity for COVID-19 through decentralisation of testing to all 36 states and FCT, using existing TB diagnostic instrument the GeneXpert Machine.

It was also used for the procurement of Biosafety Cabinets for the GeneXpert Laboratories to be able to conduct COVID-19 tests, without exposing the laboratory scientists to risk of infection, mass campaign of test kits and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for frontline health workers.

Similarly, the minister said the Global Fund also approved a grant of 21.9 million dollars to support Nigerias COVID-19 response, the new grant being the result of a proposal Nigeria CCM submitted to The Global Fund few weeks ago.

The new grant will be specifically used to procure test kits to support COVID-19 testing with the GeneXpert machine and other molecular laboratory equipment.

Overall, The Global Fund grants for COVID-19 will support testing for about one million Nigerians over the next 12 months.

On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic and the people of Nigeria, I extend appreciation to The Global Fund for the generous donations to Nigeria over the years, he said.

Source: NAN News