By Nume Ekeghe
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed has said the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently being considered by the National Assembly will lead to changes to taxation in the industry and generate more funds to the federal government.
She said this yesterday in her welcome address at the virtual public consultation for the Finance Act, 2020.
She also disclosed that economic activities in the country had started recovering gradually, saying the federal government has adopted appropriate counter-cyclical fiscal policies to accelerate economic recovery.
Ahmed explained: âIt is important to note that the tradition of enacting annual Finance Bill does not preclude the need for more fundamental legislative reforms to our key taxing statutes.
Legislature, judiciary now bound by procurement law ― Ahmed Legislature, judiciary now bound by procurement law ― Ahmed
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For the first time since it was enacted in 2007, the Public Procurement Act has been made mandatory for both the legislative and judicial arms of the Federal Government.
This fact was made known, on Monday, by Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, while giving a breakdown of aspects of the 2020 Finance Act, which became effective on January 1, 2021.
“Other key reforms in the Finance Act, 2020 include restrictions on the Cost-to-Revenue Ratios of Government and State-Owned Enterprises to increase operating surplus remittances; reforms extending the Public Procurement Act, for the first time, to cover the Judiciary and the National Assembly, as well as shortening procurement periods, increasing procurement mobilization fee thresholds from 15 per cent to up to 30 per cent, and providing for e-procurement.