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Group Slams NASS For Raising Nigerians’ Tax Burden

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The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has slammed the National Assembly for hurriedly passing the 2022 finance bill without the benefit of input from citizens who they were elected to represent.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  CPPE, Dr Muda Yusuf, who stated the displeasure of the CPPE over the hurried passage of the bill, said the act raises key questions.
“The Centre is disturbed by the rushed passage of the 2022 Finance Bill by the National Assembly.  It calls to question the representation role of the Assembly. There was practically no room for public hearing and engagement with stakeholders in the consideration of the bill”, he said.
According to him, “this is a major let down by the National Assembly in its representation role in our democracy. The action is not consistent with the ideals and principles of our democracy because sovereignty belongs ultimately to the people.
“What the National Assembly has done is tantamount to disrespect, disregard and contempt of the Nigerian people and the business community”, he srated.
The Bill that has been passed contained the following provisions, among others: “imposition of excise duties on all services with rates to be determined by a presidential order; imposition of 0.5 per cent tax on all eligible imports from non-African countries to fund Nigeria obligations to international organisations; and an increase in Tertiary Education Tax from 2.5 per cent to three per cent of company profit”, Yusuf said.
Dr Yusuf, therefore, called on the President to withhold assent on the 2022 Finance Bill until the National Assembly properly engages stakeholders as required by legislative protocols.
He noted that “this is a piece of legislation which has profound implications for investment, citizens welfare and the Nigeria economy. It is curious and puzzling that the stenate gave just 24 hours’ notice for stakeholders to attend a public hearing on the bill”.
The CEO continued that, “the public notice was published on December 21, 2022 for a public hearing scheduled for December 22, 2022. There is no better expression of deliberate exclusion of stakeholders from this important legislative process.
“The House of Representatives gave a more generous notice of about three weeks.  But in a sudden and baffling twist of events, the House passed the bill before the date of the advertised public hearing which was  January 13, 2023. The bill has since been forwarded to the President for assent. This haste is incomprehensible.
“It is regrettable that National Assembly hurriedly passed the bill without the benefit of input from citizens whom they were elected to represent.
“This is a major letdown by the National Assembly in its representation role in our democracy. The action is not consistent with the ideals and principles of our democracy because sovereignty belongs ultimately to the people”, he stated.
He said that all of these have far-reaching implications for investors and citizens, saying that it will affect the cost of production and will affect operating cost and would undermine investors’ confidence.

Yusuf also said it has profound inflationary implications, because it will effectively move corporate tax to almost 35 per cent which is one of the highest globally.

He appealled to President Mohammadu Buhari not to leave a legacy of unbearable tax burden for investors in the Nigerian economy, adding that the torrent of taxes, levies, fees is already crippling business.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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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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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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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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