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Osinbajo Tasks Govt On Fiscal Discipline

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The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo  has urged the three tiers of government to ensure adherence to fiscal discipline, enhance revenue generation, and rational allocation.
He also called on them to be conscious of the efficient use of resources for Nigeria to achieve sustainable growth.
Osinbajo gave the advice at the opening of a three-day workshop organised by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The theme of the workshop is ” Alternative Sources of Revenue Generation for Sustainable Development in States and Local Government Councils in Nigeria.”
Osinbajo, represented by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, described the workshop as timely, adding that it came at a time the present administration was working hard to re-position Nigeria’s economy after a period of declining revenue.
“The recently announced exit from recession is simply one of the stages in the development of this economy and the growth of this economy for future generation.
“We are determined to build an economy that works for all Nigerians; not just for the rich, not just for when oil prices are high, but also for everybody for the long term.
“This commitment is critical and the engines for this commitment are the state and local government.
“As you know, there are no federal people, everybody lives in a state or local government.
”For this economy to grow in the way it was intended, every state, every local government must be fiscally sustainable and must be able to meet its obligation.
“The obligation of state and local governments is not just the payment of salaries; they have critical roles in development.
Osinbajo said that the President Buhari-led administration had been working very hard to ensure that not only could states pay salaries but were also be able to lay the foundation for growth.
He commended RMAFC for the initiative and opportunity to re-emphasise the need to look beyond traditional revenue sources and strive for the viability of each state government.
Osinbajo advised all states to develop their own sources of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) while commending those that had started doing that.
According to him, one of the biggest ingredients to getting revenue for states and local governments is accountability.
“People would support government when they can see what is happening to the money; it is important that we approach transparency.
“This is not a time for us to relax, this is a time for us to double our efforts, we deserve a better Nigeria, the future generation of Nigerians are looking up to us,” he said.
The vice-president urged participants to engage actively in the workshop and create implementable plans with specific timelines on how to increase public revenues, sustainable within participating states and local governments.
Earlier, the Acting Chairman, RMAFC, Alhaji Shettima Abba-Gana, said the various economic programmes of the present government had helped in getting the country out of recession.
According to him, new additional sources of revenue are being studied, adding that the commission is designing ways of generating and collecting these revenues for the benefit of the states and local governments.
He expressed optimism that the over dependence on statutory transfers of funds from the federation account for governance by the states and local governments would soon begin to reduce.
Abba-Gana said that the workshop would avail the participants with various untapped revenue sources and would introduce them to modern revenue collection techniques.
“The workshop is geared to among others, achieve the burdens of taxation in the development of states and local governments and strategies in generating revenue in solid mineral sector.
“It will help in improving agricultural activities in states and local governments, to enhance revenue generation and encourage PPP to improve economic activity to generate more revenue
“It will also help to reduce cost of governance in Nigeria in order to save more funds,” he said.
The acting chairman expressed optimism that the programme would address and proffer solutions to the most crucial challenges in revenue generation and collection.

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Eazipay  Offers Zero-Interest Loans To  150,000 SMEs, Employees

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With a mission to ignite growth, encourage business continuity and help businesses and employees thrive, Eazipay is gearing up to propel the dreams of 150,000 SMEs and employees to new heights through her relief fund.
Gone are the days of financial constraints and stifled dreams. With Eazipay’s support, SMEs and employees alike can bid farewell to limitations and embrace a world of endless possibilities.
Whether it’s start up,  business expansion or personal development, Eazipay is here to make dreams come true.
The mind-blowing initiative, which  kicked off this month, would end in December, and will also offer a range of perks and benefits designed to put a smile on the faces of SMEs and employees alike.
From exclusive discounts to various advisory services and beyond, Eazipay is committed to spreading happiness and creating lasting impact in people’s lives and to the growth of businesses.
The technology company which offers products and services that range from payroll management to IT/Device management and assessments, “Eazipay isn’t just providing financial support but also unleashing a wave of growth and prosperity for SMEs and employees across the nation.
“Interested businesses and individuals can take part in this initiative directly from the Eazipay website: www.myeazipay.com”.

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SMEs Critical For Sustainable Dev – Commissioner

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The Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Abayomi Oluyomi, has described Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a critical engine for sustainable development in any economy.
He said this recently at the 10th anniversary of the Alert Group Microfinance Bank and the opening of their new head office in Lagos.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs accounted for about 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross.
He commended the positive impact of the Alert MFB as it empowers SMEs in the State.
“Alert MFB in the past 10 years has been at the forefront of empowering SMEs in Lagos State, disbursing over N30bn in loans to over 30,000 individuals having small to medium businesses over that period, which is quite remarkable”, he said.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director of Alert Group, Dr Kazeem Olanrewaju, revealed that the financial institution commenced business in 2013 as a microfinance bank.
“We started this journey in 2013 and it has been expanding. Today, they have about 10 branches across Lagos. They have supported well over 30,000 clients and have disbursed over N30bn.
“The company has been profitable since the second year. Looking at the market and the available opportunity, the Alert MFB board decided to come together to establish a Microfinance Institute (MFI), which is the Auto Bucks Lenders”, Dr. Olanrewaju said.
The GMD further stated that the company was focused more on supporting businesses and small and medium enterprises.
“The loan to support business represents over 98 per cent. The consumer loans you will see are the ones given to entrepreneurs. So, the area of focus of Alert MFB and Auto Bucks Lenders is to support businesses across the country.
“With the establishment of Auto Bucks Lenders, we have the opportunity to also do business outside Lagos. So, presently, we have offices in Ogun State and Oyo State. We intend to go to every part of Nigeria to support what we are doing”, he declared.

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Retailers Explain Price Drop In  Cement Cost

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The cement market, in the last couple of weeks, has seen a significant turnaround with prices tumbling from between N10,000 and N15,000 per 50kg bag to between N7,000 and N8,000.
The sudden rise in the prices of cement and other major building materials in February this year upsets  the construction industry, especially in real estate, where many developers were forced to abandon building sites.
A recent market survey conducted by The Tide’s source in different locations across the country confirmed a price drop, ranging between N7,000 and N7,500 per bag, though BUA cement is selling for N7,500 to N7,800 per 50kg bag, depending on location.
Both entrepreneurs and major distributors who were interviewed,  explained that the price drop is due to low demand and government’s intervention.
At the peak of the price hike, the Federal Government called a meeting with major producers where it was agreed that a bag of cement should be between for N7,000 to N8,000, depending on location.
But the producers did not comply with this agreement immediately, followin which “Nigerians stopped demanding for cement; many project sites were abandoned as developers sat back and waited for the prices to come down.
“So, what has happened is an inter-play of demand and supply with price responding, which is Economics at work”, Collins Okpala, a cement dealer, told the source in Abuja.
In the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory, a 50-kg bag of Dangote cement now sells for between N7,000 and N7,500, while BUA cement sells for between N8,500 and N9,500, down from between N11,000 and N12,000 respectively.
In Lagos, the product has seen significant price drop too. In Ojo area of the state, Sebastin Ovie, a dealer, told our reporter that what has happened is a crash from the January price, attributing the crash to low demand and stronger naira.
“The current price of the product is between N7,000 and N7,500 per 50kg bag, depending on the brand. This is a significant drop from the average of N12,000 which most dealers were selling in February and March”, he said.
A dealer in Agege area of the state who identified himself as Taofik Olateju, told the source that sales are picking up due to the drop in price.
He recalled that Nigerians at a point stopped buying due to the high price of the product at N15,000 per bag.
“I am sure most dealers ran at a loss then because we had mainly old stocks which we wanted to offload quickly”, he said, confirming that the product sells for between N7,500 and N8,000, depending on the brand and the demand for the brand.
Continuing, Olateju noted that “because the naira is now doing well against the dollar, it will be unreasonable for manufacturers to continue to sell the product at the old prices. I also believe that the federal government’s intervention and the threat to license more importers may have worked, leading to the reduction in price”.
In Enugu, the source reports that the product sells for between N7,200 and N7,500 depending on the brand and location.
“This is a city where the price of a 50kg bag went for as high as N12,000 and N13,000 in some cases in February and March”, Samuel Chikwendu said.
He added that the prices of other building materials, especially iron rods, have also dropped considerably which is why, he said, activities are picking up again at construction sites.
The story is slightly different in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where Innocent Okonkwo told the source that low demand was also driving the price drop, adding that a 50kg bag was selling for N9,000 on the average in the state.
Sundry market observers are optimistic of further price reductions, but they remain cautious as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers continue to play critical roles in setting prices for end-users.
They lamented, however, that despite Nigeria’s status as one of the largest producers of cement in Africa, the price of the product continues to rise, particularly in the face of high inflation impacting the building materials market generally.
Okpala in Abuja highlighted the variations arising from direct sourcing from manufacturers versus procurement through dealers, with traders holding old stocks selling products at prices ranging from N8,500, N8,300 to N8,000 per bag.
Lucy Nwachukwu, another dealer in Abuja, said the significance of  procurement volume in determining cement costs, noting that stability in prices has been observed over the past month, with the product retailing for between N7,000 and N7,800 depending on the brand.
In Port Harcourt also, a customer, Daniel Etteobong Effiong, said the price goes between N7500 to N8500, depending on the brand and the location one is buying from.

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