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LCCI, KPMG Task Govt On VAT Increase

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10 years ago

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L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Lawal Habiba; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and the President, Nigeria Academy of Engineering (NAE), Prof. Raifu Salawu, during a courtesy visit of NAE's delegation to the Minister in Abuja, yesterday

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Lawal Habiba; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and the President, Nigeria Academy of Engineering (NAE), Prof. Raifu Salawu, during a courtesy visit of NAE’s delegation to the Minister in Abuja, yesterday

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) yesterday said there was a need to boost the nation’s internally generated revenue through higher consumption tax.
The Director-General of LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf,  told newsmen in Lagos that emphasis on tax revenue generation should shift to consumption tax.
He suggested that tax should shift from taxes on investors and entrepreneurs to taxing consumption of some products and services.
Yusuf spoke against the backdrop of the recommendation of the IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, that Nigeria should increase its VAT.
According to him, the ratio of tax to GDP in Nigeria is one of the lowest in the world.
Yusuf said that imposition of VAT in Nigeria should be in favour of the poor by exempting some goods consumed by the poor.
“This is necessary so that they do not compound the poverty rate challenges in the country”.
The LCCI chief also called for more efficient tax administration in the country by plugging all loopholes for tax evasion.
“Presently, those paying tax are in the formal sector. There has to be a framework to ensure that those in the informal sector also pay tax to boost tax revenue.”
Mr Ayo Salami, a tax expert at KPMG, also told newsmen that the suggestion by IMF was in order since VAT increase was enshrined in the National Tax Policy framework.
Salami, a Partner of Tax, Regulatory and People Services at KPMG, said that the policy laid more emphasis on indirect taxation.
According to the tax expert, less emphasis should be on direct taxation because of low cost of collection and evasion.
“The question is that if VAT rate is increased, how much the government will be willing to give back via reduction in direct tax that is corporate tax and personal income tax.
“This is to ensure that the populace is not worse off even if the government benefits in terms of tax revenue collection.”

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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