The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs)

  • Plateau generated N3.09bn IGR in Q1

    The Plateau Government on Tuesday declared N3.09 billion Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR ) in the first quarter of 2018.

    Mr Dashe Arlat, the Chairman, Plateau State Internal Revenue Service ( PSIRS ), made this known in an interview with the newsmen in Jos.

    Arlat said that revenue collected during the period was the highest ever in the history of the service.

    “Looking back at what ( N2.5 billion ) we generated during the same period under review in 2017, we have an increase of about N600 million this year, ’’ he said.

    Arlat described the collection as very huge and encouraging and attributed the development to the renewed vigour of Ministries Departments and Agencies ( MDAs ) and staff of PSIRS in the New Year.

    According to him, the MDAs and PSRIS have been holding series of workshops and stakeholders meetings toward better and workable means of improving the revenue collection of the state.

    He said that the feat was achieved due to tremendous improvements in collection of the Pay As You Earn ( PAYE ) and levies and charges by the MDAs and the PSIRS.

    The chairman gave the monthly analysis showing January as having the highest collection of N1.27 billion, February N828.65 million and March N997.22 million.

    “At the beginning of the year, we set a target of nothing less than a N1 billion as our monthly Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR ) toward strengthening and improving government’s provision of basic social amenities to the citizens of the state.

    “As it is now, with what we have so far generated, we have gotten there and we hope to improve on it as we move on in the year,’’ Arlat said.

    He said that the staff of the ministry of tourism had been going out to ensure that all hotels, events centres, drinking spots and viewing centres, among others, were duly captured and registered for payment of taxes and levies.

    Read Also: 2,945 Corp members sworn in Plateau

    Arlat said that all other MDAs would soon follow suit, especially the ministry of lands and physical planning.

    He said that the ministry was expected to start collection of ground rents, having almost concluded the numbering of houses within the Jos-Bukuru metropolis.

    The PSIRS boss commended members of staff for their dedication to duty and for working under some difficult conditions.

    He said that the response from the tax payers in the state had been very encouraging and appealed to them to continue with that display of patriotism.

    Arlat said that once tax payers fulfilled their civic responsibilities to the government, the government would equally reciprocate by providing the needed social amenities to the citizens as dividends of democracy.

    NAN

  • HoS to civil servants: Plan for your retirement age now

    HoS to civil servants: Plan for your retirement age now

    The Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita has advised civil servants in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to start planning towards their retirement ahead of actual retirement age from the public service.

    Oyo-Ita gave the advice at a maiden stakeholders meeting organized by the Institute of Retirement Management (IRM), Thursday in Abuja.

    He disclosed that retirement which ought to be an exciting phase in the life of the civil servants has become a period public servants dread most.

    She said it became imperative for them to start designing strategic plans to safeguard their finances.

    Oyo-Ita, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary in-charge of common services, Mr. Afolayan Ayodele emphasized need for civil servant to build capacity and update their skills in order to remain relevant during retirement.

    “Equipping and empowering pre and post retirees with the requisite knowledge and skills needed for a seamless adjustment from pay employment to the uncertainties and sometimes disillusionment associated with retirement is a worthy course government and private sector must pursue together if wellbeing of Nigerian workforce must be guaranteed even after retirement,” Oyo-Ita added.

    She pledged to support the institute in any way possible towards ensuring the goal of developing capacity of civil servants ahead of retirement is achieved.

    “Start making necessary preparations to make life better in retirement,” she said.

    Earlier, former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello decried state of retirees, who are also protesting for their entitlements.

    Bello, who is the governing council chairman of the institute said the organization was put together to address the hiccups through training and empowerment of civil servants prior to retirement and after.

    According to him, the ultimate goal of the institute is to achieve improved well-being for public servants, who have spent better part of their lives serving the nation. “Our programmes are professionally designed and of strategic importance to organisations and individuals, who have genuine concerns for a fulfilling life after retirement.”

    Bello added that, “Until recently, the condition of majority of our retirees generated headlines in both the print and electronic media for the wrong reasons. As stakeholders, time and again, we were confronted by retirees, who were either demonstrating and occupying public buildings in protest over pension payment matters or by stories of retirees, who though in excellent condition at the point of their disengagement from service have either lapsed into very poor health or have passed on prematurely as a result of sudden drop in their conditions of living.”

    In his remarks, the IRM Chief Executive, Dr. Chidi Iheama, said the vision was to support the public service as many retirees are usually overwhelmed with the thought of ever leaving the service.

    He listed some fears of the government workers to include anxiety and stress arising from sudden loss of status and self-esteem, developing financial sustainability plan to manage financial insecurity as well as evolving health challenge.

    However, Iheama disclosed plans to support with entrepreneurial opportunities available in areas of services and manufacturing.

  • FG should expedite action on payment of promotion arrears, others – AUPCTRE

    FG should expedite action on payment of promotion arrears, others – AUPCTRE

    The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE) has appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the payment of promotion arrears to the federal public servants.

    Mr Benjamin Anthony, the AUPCTRE Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Chapter, made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Anthony said, “The payment will go a long in alleviating the pains of the workers in view of the current economic crunch.’’

    He commended the Federal Government for the approval of N44 billion for the payment of backlog of promotion arrears, salary shortfalls and other claims owed the federal public servants since year 2012.

    According to him, the present administration deserved a special commendation for the giant stride that will encourage workers to put in their best for the country’s development.

    Anthony said that this was in spite of the current economic challenges facing the country.

    He also urged AUPCTRE leaders in the to ensure strict compliance and implementation of proper placement of salary steps of workers.

    The AUPCTRE chairman said that a circular from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation dated July 14, 2014 marked “HCSF/CSO/HRM/POL.1402/1/25’’ had directed the implementation.

    He said that the circular was, however, not being implemented by many MDAs as directed by the government.

    Anthony said the union observed with dismay that many organisations claimed ignorance of the circular and in the process wrongly placed their workers on salary steps during promotion.

  • FG returns Nigeria to January/December fiscal year

    FG returns Nigeria to January/December fiscal year

    The Federal Government on Tuesday started a move to return the country back to a predictable January to December fiscal year with the early preparation of the 2018 budget proposals.

    The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen Udoma Udo Udoma said this in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, James Akpandem in Abuja.

    Udoma said that the ministry held an event, tagged: “Flag of the 2018 Budget Preparation Process’’ to inform the relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the processes and procedures of the budget preparation.

    The event came up less than 24 hours after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law.

    At the event, Osinbajo said“ going forward, we have agreed with the National Assembly leadership on the necessity to get Nigeria back onto a predictable January to December fiscal year.

    “To achieve this, the 2018 budget needs to get to the National Assembly no later than early October so that the National Assembly can conclude work on it before the end of the year.”

    The Acting President emphasised on the need for direct involvement of Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and heads of government agencies in the preparation of their respective establishments’ budgets.

    “Ministers and Permanent Secretaries are to take responsibility to ensure that as much as possible their 2017 Budget is implemented between now and December.

    “They are also to be personally involved in the process for the preparation of the 2018 Budget to ensure that we meet the deadline for submitting it to the National Assembly by early October 2017,” he said.

    In addition, Osinbajo said that they must fast-track the implementation of the 2017 Budget to make up for the lost time and to deliver on expectations.

    He observed that Personnel Costs had continued to be a source of budgetary pressure, urging the MDAs to collaborate with the relevant authorities to ensure that only legitimate employees are on the payroll.

    He told them to collaborate with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as well as the Ministry of Finance, in their efforts to ensure full implementation of the IPPIS.

    The Acting President also tasked the top government functionaries to pay serious attention to the revenue side of the budget as the country needed to improve on revenue generation to fund of the budget.

    Speaking further, Udoma reminded the officials that the 2018 Personnel Budget Call Circular had been issued to them since April.

    The minister said work had already commenced on the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework /Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

    He said the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 prescribes certain deadlines for Budget related activities, which government must endeavour to comply with.

    These objectives, he said, were particularly important for a government which had changed as its agenda.

    “Delayed national budgets are generally considered as indicative of poor public financial management which is not good for the image of the Government.’’

    Udoma, however, said that the 2018 budget would be the first full-year budget following the finalisation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

    “It became imperative that the budget was fully aligned with the objectives and priorities of the ERGP.

    “The 2018 budget process is, therefore, being harmonised with the Implementation Roadmap for the ERGP,’’ he said.

    The event was aimed at sensitising all top government functionaries and other stakeholders on the ERGP Implementation Roadmap and critical guidelines for the preparation of the 2018 budget to ensure its alignment with the ERGP.

    Meanwhile, Udoma will present the breakdown of the 2017 Budget to the general public on Monday, June 19 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Abuja at 10:00a.m.

  • Civil servants appeal to FG to pay outstanding allowances

    Public Servants under the aegis of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) on Tuesday appealed to the Federal Government to pay workers arrears of promotion and other allowances.

    Mr. Alade Lawal, Secretary General of the association who made the appeal in a statement in Lagos, said that civil servants were already planning an agitation over the unpaid allowances.

    “The workers have concluded mobilisation to shut activities of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at the federal level.

     “This action will be carried out unless government takes urgent steps to pay promotion arrears, outstanding salaries and other allowances to the public servants in the next few weeks,” Lawal said.

    He said that more than one year after the promotion arrears were computed by a Presidential Committee and report submitted to the Presidency, government had continued to delay on the payment.

    Lawal said that the issue of unpaid entitlements have remained unattended to while the workers struggled to make ends meet in the recession period.

    The ASCSN scribe said that office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had issued a circular directing all MDAs to compile the total sum involved in respect of the unpaid entitlements of their employees.

    He said that money included promotion arrears in some cases since 2007, burial expenses, repatriation allowance, training allowance among others.

    The scribe urged the Federal Government to pay workers the money as it had shown support to the states by providing a bailout fund twice in the past one year.

    Lawal further said that balance of the indebtedness should be captured in the 2017 budget estimate so that payment could be made in the course of the year without going through the virement process.