Uche Usim, Abuja
The Federal Government yesterday kept mum over the cries of Benue, Rivers, Delta and some other States whose Paris Club refund was withdrawn, after their accounts were hitherto credited with the money.
This is as it shared about N741.84 billion with States and Local Governments as Federal Allocation for August.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Dr Mahmoud Isa Dutse, while briefing journalists after the September meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in Abuja Wednesday, said the issue of the withdrawn Paris Club fund was not a matter for FAAC and was not deliberated at the meeting.
He said: “Paris Club refund is not really a FAAC matter. FAAC meets to review revenue collection in the federation account and agree on the distribution. The issue of Paris Club refund is a technical matter and we did not discuss it at all at this meeting.
READ ALSO NLC strike: Students expresses dissatisfaction over strike action in Bauchi
So, what I think is that, you should direct the question to the relevant agency of government and you will get the correct answer, I don’t want to mislead you.
On whether federal workers’ salaries will be paid despite their two-week warning strike, the Accountant General of the Federation Ahmed Idris said “the matter around salaries is that for quite a number of months, we have been paying salaries promptly and this month will not be an exception. Definitely we will pay salaries this month and as I am sitting here I have just finalised the cash plan for salaries, it is a matter of I.T application. We don’t need to go through the rigorous way we used to do it before assured and I assure all public servants that especially those that work for the Federal Government that their salaries will be paid immediately”
Meanwhile, the communiqué issued by the Technical Sub -Committee of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) at the end of its September meeting, indicated that the Gross statutory revenue received was N627.139 billion. This sum is higher than the N609.975 billion received in the previous month by N17.164 billion.
Similarly, the total distributable revenue of N741.843 billion, distributed, comprised the Statutory Revenue of N627.139 billion, Gross Value Added Tax of N114.542 billion and An Exchange Gain of N162 million. There was also a saving of N40billion into the Excess Crude Account.
Therefore, from the Net statutory revenue, Federal Government received N274.889 billion representing 52.68%; States received N139.427 billion representing 26.72%; Local Government Councils received N107.493 billion representing 20.60%; while the Oil Producing States received N53.034 billion also representing 13% derivation revenue.
READ ALSO FEC approves $64m contract for Escravos power supply
Furthermore, the breakdown of distribution to the 3 tiers from Value Added Tax (VAT), include: Federal Government received N16.494 billion representing 15%; States received N54.981 billion representing 50% while the Local Government Councils received N38.486 billion, also representing 35%.
Meanwhile, the Communique added that Oil export sales volume rose to 4.57 million barrels resulting in an increased revenue from the Federation Crude Oil Expert Sales by 0.82 million barrels when compared with the previous month’s sales volume of 3.74 million barrels. Also, Value Added Tax (VAT), Import Duty, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) ,all recorded an increase, while Companies Income Tax (CIT) and Oil Royalty decreased.
The balance on Excess Crude Account as at 25th September, 2018 is $2.468 Billion, while the balance in Excess Petroleum Profit Tax as at the same date is $0.133 billion.