Business
FG, States To Cut Cost Over Oil Slump
The Federal Ministry of
Finance, commissioners of Finance and accountants-general of the 36 states of the federation have begun moves to reduce the high cost of governance in the country following the continous decline in crude oil prices in the international market.
The need to prune expenditure, according to the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is necessitied by the persistent drop in oil prices which has continued to have a negative impact on the revenue of government.
The Minister, who spoke in Abuja recently at a three day national treasury workshop with the theme: “Optimum funds management in the midst of cash flow challenges” called on states to align their spending with the austerity measures recently announced by the federal government.
Apart from the commissioners of finance, the workshop was attended by the head of accounts of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government and other relevant stakeholders in the finance and accounting subsectors of the nation’s economy.
Represented by the Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashire Yuguda, Okonjo-Iweala predicted a tough fiscal year for the country but added that the federal government’s economic management team had the capacity to address the challenges.
She said while oil revenue accruing to the government had continued to decline, adequate measures had been put in place to shore up non-oil revenue.
For instance, she said that within the last few months non-oil revenue receipts had increased, noting that the trend was expected to continue due to some of the reforms that had been put in place to improve tax administration.
“The idea of the workshop is to discuss the challenges that we are having due to the fall in revenue of government.
“How do we prioritise our products, how do we curtail unnecessary expenses, how do we reduce overheads and recurrent expenditures, she asked.
She further explained that the workshop was timely as it would afford stakeholders the opportunity to come up with measures that align with what the government has started already.
She also appealed to the sub-national level of government to try and key into what the federal government was talking about.
On his part, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, said the workshop would not only add value to the government’s effort in keeping the treasury functional at all times, but would also assist in addressing the challenges of resources management.
“The effect of dwindling oil price is not only peculiar to the country but to the entire world.
This workshop is, therefore, coming at a very appropriate time, especially as the national budget is being processed by the National Assembly, he said.
Business
NCDMB, Dangote Refinery Unveil JTC On Deepening Local Content

Business
Industry Leaders Defend Local Content, … Rally Behind NCDMB

Business
Replace Nipa Palms With Mangroove In Ogoni, Group Urges FG, HYPREP

-
Business14 hours ago
Industry Leaders Defend Local Content, … Rally Behind NCDMB
-
Politics11 hours ago
Nasarawa Speaker Advocates Conducive Executive/Legislature Relations
-
Niger Delta13 hours ago
Delta Leverages On Extensive River Networks To Drive Blue Economy
-
News12 hours ago
FG Renames University of Maiduguri After Buhari …As Tinubu Pours Encomiums On Late President
-
News14 hours ago
PCRC Dismisses Claims Of Police Strike As Fake, Mischievous
-
News10 hours ago
Rivers PDP Debunks Sale Of LGA Election Forms
-
Niger Delta13 hours ago
Bishop Mocks Fake Prophecy Seekers … As Priests Relive Challenges At Ordination Ceremony
-
Rivers16 hours ago
Macobarb CEO Cries Out, Says No Indigenous Contractor Can Win Case Against NLNG Or Oil Majors in Nigerian Courts …As Justice Nwogu Throws Out Macobarb’s N5.74bn Claim