FG, States, LGs share N369.9bn for Nov.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, on Tuesday said N369.9 billion was shared among the Federal, States and Local Governments for Nov. 2015.

Adeosun announced this when she addressed newsmen on the outcome of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja.

She said the amount comprised the month’s statutory revenue of N297.4 billion.

“Also, there is the exchange gain of N4.9 billion which is proposed for distribution.

“Therefore, the total revenue distributable for November, including VAT of N61.1 billion, is N389.8 billion”, she said.

Adeosun added N6.3 billion was refunded to the federation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and was also proposed for sharing.

National Daily, recalls that N473.8 billion was shared among the three tiers of government for the preceding month. This showed a decrease of N83.9 billion.

Giving the breakdown, Adeosun said the Federal Government received N139.5 billion, representing 52.68 per cent; states, N70.7 billion, representing 26.72 per cent.

The local governments, she said, received N54.5 billion, amounting to 20.60 per cent of the amount distributed.

She said that N25.6 billion representing 13 per cent derivation revenue was shared among the oil producing states.

Adeosun said the country generated N198.5 billion as mineral revenue and N98.8 billion as non-mineral revenue.

According to her, this showed a decrease of N11.3 billion and N114.2 billion from what the country generated as mineral and non-mineral revenue in the preceding month.

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She stated that the balance in the Excess Crude Account at stood at 2.25 billion dollars, which showed that nothing had been removed or added to it since July.

Adeosun decried the low revenue generation for the month. She explained:

“Ongoing maintenance and the shut-down and shut-in of production for repairs and maintenance at different terminals during the month continued to impact crude oil and gas revenue negatively.

“Also, there was revenue loss of 19.4 million dollars as a result of drop in federation export, even though the average price of crude oil increased from 46.9 dollars per barrel in September to 49.5 dollars per barrel in October’’, she said.

Adeosun, however, stated that there was distribution of 150 million dollars being Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dividends, adding that it had previously been approved by the National Economic Council (NEC).

She said that the increase in non-oil revenue was a sign that the economy was already showing non-dependence on crude oil alone.

Adeosun said the administration had continuously emphasised diversification of the economy and that it was on track to ensure that.

“Even though the revenues for the month are actually down, if you analyse it, non-oil revenue is now really making a difference compared to oil.

“Non oil is beginning to pick up and play its part and I think that for our economy, that is a very positive sign and I think that it is something we should work together with, to ensure that people are paying and remitting tax when due.

“We should improve collections in those non-oil revenue generating agencies, because those revenues are not as volatile or subject to oil price.

“They are most sustainable and those are the signs that we are looking for, that those non-oil revenues should be more stable and significant and to keep growing. So, that is our policy direction’’, she said.

On salaries before the yuletide as promised by the Federal Government, she said that salaries were already being paid.

“The issue that is very important is that of salaries and people are being paid now as we speak and are already beginning to get alerts.
“We are conscious enough to ensure that people are paid in time for the festive season and I know that the Director of Funds is nodding emphatically that alerts are already going out’’, she said.

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