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Tag: Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF)

  • Move to IPPIS or face the consequences, AGF warns MDAs

    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris, has advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)  of Government to comply with the directive to move their payrolls to the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), or be ready for the consequences of their action.

    AGF Idris Ahmed warned that the Treasury will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive is fully complied with.

    A statement from the Office of the AGF issued yesterday and signed by Oise D. Johnson, Head, Press and Public Relations (OAGF), said the AGF gave this advice, while receiving the Acting Inspector General of Police Mr. Abubakar Adamu who was at the Treasury House on a courtesy visit.

    Idris Ahmed was said to have commended the Nigeria Police for showing example by complying with the directive of President Buhari, and was quoted to have said that “the Nigeria police have been fully integrated into the IPPIS platform and their successful enrolment has paved the way for the enrolment of the Nigerian  military which has further demonstrated the robustness of the platform and our avowed commitment to a transparent, accountable and efficient management of the nation’s funds in line with the global best practice”

    Furthermore, the Accountant –General of the Federation underscored the enormous roles the Nigeria police play in maintaining peace and security in the country, saying there is need for the police to be supported with adequate funding. He promised the continued support of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation  in ensuring that all approvals due to the Nigeria police are timely released to enable them effectively deliver on  their  mandate to the Nigeria people .

    Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Adamu extolled the cordial relationship existing between the Nigeria police and the OAGF, describing it as “a very strategic partnership  in the business of policing the nation”.

    He commended Mr.Idris for his exemplary leadership which has culminated in the effective implementation of the various financial reforms which have helped  the police in meeting most her financial challenges.

    Mr. Adamu called for more collaboration between the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Nigeria police.

  • Move to IPPIS or face consequences, AGF tells MDAs

    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris has advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government to comply with the directive to move their payroll to the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) or be ready for the consequences.

    Ahmed warned the Treasury will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive is fully complied with.

    A statement from the Office of the AGF issued on Friday and signed by Oise D. Johnson, Head Press and Public Relations (OAGF) said the AGF gave this advice while receiving the Ag. Inspector General of Police Mr. Abubakar Adamu who was at the Treasury House on a courtesy visit.

    Ahmed was said to have commended the Police for showing example by complying with the directive of President Bubari.

    He was quoted to have said: “The Nigerian police has been fully integrated into the IPPIS platform and their successful enrollment has paved way for the enrollment of the Nigeria Military, which has further demonstrated the robustness of the platform and our avowed commitment to a transparent, accountable and efficient management of the Nation’s funds in line with global best practice.”

    The AGF underscored the enormous roles the Nigeria Police played in maintaining peace and security in the country, saying there was need for the Police to be supported with adequate funding.

    Read Also: MTN chief faults AGF on $2b tax demand

    He assured the continued support of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation  in ensuring that all approvals due to the Nigeria police are timely released to enable them effectively deliver on  their  mandate to the Nigeria people .

    The Ag Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Abubakar  Adamu, extolled the cordial relationship existing between the Nigerian Police and the OAGF, describing it as “a very  strategic  partnership  in the business of policing the nation”.

    He commended Idris for his exemplary leadership, which has culminated in the effective implementation of the various financial reforms which has helped the Nigeria police in meeting most her financial challenges.

  • FAAC shares N610.368bn to FG, States and LGs in February 2019

    Following the conclusion of the presidential and National Assembly elections, the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared to the three tiers of government a total of N610.368 billion federal revenue generated in the month of January 2019, but shared in February 2019.
    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, while briefing the press at the end of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja, Wednesday, said approval is being awaited from the Minister of Finance for additional N50 billion from the Foreign Exchange Equalization Account, which will be distributed accordingly.
    The AGF also disclosed that the balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) currently stands at $249 billion.
    A communique issued by the Federation Account Allocation Committee indicates that from the N610.368 billion, the Federal Government received N252.412 billion, the States received N170.541, the Local Government Councils received N127.923 billion. The Oil Producing States received N41.992 billion as 13% derivation revenue and the Revenue Generating Agencies received N17.500 billion as cost of revenue collection.
    For the month of January 2019, the gross revenue of N505.246 billion was received in the month of January 2019. This was lower than the N547.462 billion received in the previous month by N42.216 billion.
    The gross revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) was N104.468 billion as against N100.760 billion distributed in the previous month, resulting in an increase of N3.708 billion. From the total gross revenue from VAT, the Federal Government received N15.044 billion, the States received N50.145 billion, the Local Government Councils received N35.102 billion and the Revenue Generating Agencies received N1.178 billion.
    The communique stated that for the month of January 2019, the federation crude oil sales increased by 2.4 million barrels, resulting in increased federation revenue by $149.94 million despite a drop in price of crude oil from $81.06 to $75.00 per barrel. In the month under review, oil royalty, import and excise duties increased substantially while Companies Income Tax (CIT) while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) decreased marginally.
  • FG engages international audit firms to recover TSA funds from banks

    FG engages international audit firms to recover TSA funds from banks

    The federal government has unleashed international audit firms to reconcile and retrieve public sector funds being withheld by banks.

    Mr. Hamza Adeyemi, Director Funds office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) made the disclosure Thursday in Abuja.

    Adeyemi lamented that “banks have thrown professionalism to the winds; some banks are still holding on to funds of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) not transferred to the Treasury Single Account (TSA).”

    This he said is Inspite of the fact that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had sanctioned some banks by directly debiting the accounts of banks.

    Adeyemi stated that the federal government in 2004, lost over N70 billion funds while in the possession of commercial banks.

    To recover and reconcile all public sector accounts, Adeyemi said “accounting /auditing firms are auditing banks to recover funds still with banks. Some of the audit firms involved are Ernst and Young, PWC etc, the audit will be very comprehensive.”

    He accused banks of not adhering to presidential directive to return all public funds in their possession to the TSA domiciled in CBN.

    As recently as some few weeks ago, Adeyemi said more money was recovered from some banks still holding to government monies.

    Government he assured “is monitoring to ensure that these monies are paid into the federation’s coffers. Comprehensive reconciliation is ongoing. A lot has been done but more still needs to be done.”

    When asked to comment of the some idle funds captured under the TSA, Adeyemi disclosed that there is “over N300 billion idle funds in (TSA) a special CBN available window to be invested in Treasury Bills (TB) which attracts interest. The interest accrued goes back to the TSA of government” he said.

    Speaking to the success of the TSA, Adeyemi noted that “this is the first time in the history of this country that N1.2 trillion will be disbursed for capital projects in the 2016 fiscal year. This is because of TSA, in the past some of the monies were fixed in the banks or just idling away in the banks not being used for what they are meant for.”

    With the introduction of TSA, Adeyemi added that the exact amount in the consolidated cash position of the federal government can now be accessed by the AGF at the touch of botton thus availing the government of how much it has at its disposal for spending.

    Earlier, Mr. Mohammed Usman, Director Inspectorate Department of the OAGF fingered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for withholding unspent cash at the end of the financial year.

    According to Usman, “INEC says it is empowered to retain funds, but we (OAGF) have written to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for clarification on that because it is part of public accounts procedure to return left over cash to the chest.”

    Usman said “the issue is now a subject with the public accounts committee of the National Assembly since 2015.”

    He also disclosed that all MDAs at one time or the other have fallen short of keeping proper assets register. According to Usman, “all MDAs are not abreast with the asset register. It has become more imperative now giving the new accounting techniques adopted by the federal government to keep accurate assets register.”

     

  • FG to pay civil servants by 25th monthly

    FG to pay civil servants by 25th monthly

    The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, has said that the Federal Government plans to begin payment of staff salaries by the 25th of every month, as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
    Idris, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, said: “This is going to be given a test, I believe, by this month.”
    The AGF also noted that the government was working on a new arrangement, which, if approved, would ensure payment of the salaries before the monthly meeting of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
    According to him, usually, salaries are paid after the FAAC meeting, where revenue accruing to the federation’s account are shared between the federal, state and local governments.
    “There is a standing instruction of Mr President to pay salary on or before 24 or 25 of every month and we will try as much as possible to comply and to abide by that.
    “We are taking a step further to make a provision whereby we can accommodate salary payments even before FAAC.
    “This is going to be given a test I believe by this month.
    “We will go to seek for necessary approval of our political masters to make sure that at least salary and other statutory payments are made even before FAAC.
    “Because we can project how much they are and therefore we can prepare and hit the ground running to make them realisable and actualised.
    “Even where we delay FAAC, we can still pay salary,” the AGF noted.
    Speaking further, Idris dispelled the widely held belief that the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy is responsible for the delay in the payment of salaries and attributed the situation to the crash in global oil prices, which has affected the inflow of income to the country.
    His words: “Nigeria is practically making about 30 to 40 per cent of what it used to make by way of revenue from oil and that has affected inflow generally.
    “These inflows are what the federal, state and local governments receive to service the economy. It is when we receive these resources and sit at the end of the month for FAAC that the resources are shared among the three tiers of government.”
    Citing the benefits of TSA, Idris said that more than N2.7 trillion had been realised under a single account domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
    He also said that the cost of borrowing by government agencies had been reduced substantially and that the economy was already a beneficiary of the policy.
    According to him, the monies are stimulating the economy in a way that delivery of social goods, services and efficiency in government expenditure are being achieved.
    “So I believe that they are already serving the purpose for which they are meant and they are within the economy,” he said, adding that he was optimistic having seen the benefits of the TSA policy to the Federal Government, state governments would key into it.
    Idris said that any insinuations that the policy would lead to laying off of staff by deposit money banks was unfounded as the policy was not intended to disrupt the operations of those banks.
    He, therefore, advised commercial banks to re-strategise on how to make profit without relying on government funds.
    “I think banks need to really focus themselves and re-direct themselves to face traditional banking business and not rely heavily on public resources.
    “They should be more strategic and focused and I believe that they will be better for it.’’
    It will be recalled that the TSA policy was introduced in Sept. 2015 to ensure that government resources are centralised in a single account.
    It was introduced to block leakages in the system to ensure transparency and efficiency in the management of government resources.