Tag Archives: Sen. Udo Udoma

FG To Streamline Incentives, Waivers For Non-Oil tax Revenue – Minister

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The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo-Udoma, said that government was in the process of streamlining incentives and waivers for proper monitoring, transparency and broadening of non-oil tax revenue.

 

 

Udo-Udoma said this at the opening ceremony of the FIRS 2016 Corporate Strategy Retreat titled “optimising non-oil tax revenue collection through compliance and enforcement ’’ on Tuesday in Abuja.

 

 

He was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Fatima Mede.

 

Udo-Udoma said that given the poor budgetary performance in 2015, government was committed to exploring ways to enhance non-oil revenues for financing the annual budget.

 

“Let me inform you that government is in the process of streamlining incentives and waivers for proper monitoring, transparency, efficient tax administration and broadening of the non-oil tax revenue.

 

It is also planned to ensure stiffer penalty for tax evaders in the country. Efforts are equally on the way to explore the country’s potential in the solid mineral and agricultural sector.

 

We also intend to discourage dumping and smuggling to ensure massive investment in physical infrastructure and enhance conductive business environment, including security of lives and property, ‘’ he said.

 

 

He said that the country was in the process of developing the 2017-2020 Medium Term Successor Plan (MTSP) that would guide the 2017 budget and 2017-2019 MTEF preparation process.

 

Udo-Udoma said that the plan was to restructure and diversify the productive base of the economy and revenue.

 

 

He added that the key pillars of the plan were economic, social development, infrastructure, government, environment, states and regional development.

 

The Minister of FCDA, Mr Mohammed Bello, said there was need for FIRS to focus on human resource training that would be user and consumer friendly in the use ICT.

 

Bello said it was time for FIRS to move to the next level in revenue generation, adding that the service in the past years had done well in revenue regeneration.

 

“You need to also carry the local and state governments along since you have the institutional capacity,’’Bello said.

 

 

The Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, said that the challenge of scarcity of revenue to the nation was not for FIRS alone but to the nation in general.

 

Idris said that there was need for awareness creation, sensitisation and publicity so that Nigerians could come to terms with the reality on ground in paying tax.”

 

“I believe the FIRS has the capacity, expertise and the structure to deliver and I believe that given the right encouragement which government is giving, FIRS will deliver and they will even surpass their revenue target,‘’ Idris said.

 

(NAN)

Zero-Based Budgeting Will Block Financial Leakages – Udoma

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The Minister of Budget and Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma said on Wednesday that the Federal Government’s plan for zero-based budgeting from 2016 would block all financial leakages and bring accountability into government spending.

 

Udoma said this at an event to commemorate the 2015 Evaluation year declared by the UN as well as the inauguration of the Association of Evaluators, Nigerian chapter.

 

He said that when adopted, the zero-based budgeting would help government to adopt a management framework on how to manage funds.

 

“Steps are being taken to review and update our long term strategic framework so that Nigeria can key into the 2015 sustainable development goals.

“We are embarking on the reformed budgeting /planning process by adopting the zero base budgeting policies driven approach for appropriating 2016 budget.

“Efforts are being made to block financial leakages through measures that include the operation of single treasury accounts to grow the size of government revenues especially from the non oil sources.

 

The Chief Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, UNICEF Nigeria, Mr Dennis Jobin said the 2015 Monitoring and Evaluation Day was one of the tools for good governance.

 

He said that the group had a mandate to create awareness on immunising children from diseases.

 

“Each year more than four million children die of diseases such as polio, meningitis, yellow fever among others,’’ he said.

 

Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, said the commemoration of the day in Nigeria would promote nationalism and synergy between the federal government and other countries.

 

The speaker called on all the agencies of government to understand and appreciate the programme, adding that it would help in nation building and the realization of the FG’s 2020 development goal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the aim of the Association of Evaluators is to develop a strong evaluation culture critical for young democracies.

Association of Evaluators is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating programs that could move the country forward.

The commemoration event was organised by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning in collaboration with UNICEF and other stakeholders.

 

 

(NAN)