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FEC approves bilateral tax agreement between Nigeria, Singapore

NAN-HE-21

FEC
Abuja, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved bilateral agreement for the avoidance of double taxation in business deals between Nigeria and Singapore.

‎The approval, ratified at the 22nd meeting of FEC, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, would also prevent tax evasion on income and capital benefits between Nigeria and Singapore.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, told State House correspondents that the objective of the agreement was to facilitate more trade between Nigeria and Singapore

She said it would succeed by ensuring that nationals or enterprises were not taxed twice on income or profits derived from each of the countries.

“It will encourage more direct foreign investments into Nigeria, allow investors to know what their tax obligations will be and ensure sustainable tax regime for each country,’’ she said.

The minister disclosed that the underlining principle behind the agreement was that Singapore had been a major trading partner with Nigeria.

She said the country was a major importer of Nigeria’s crude oil.

“They buy oil from us. Petroleum export to Singapore for the last five years is about $264 billion and we import about N311 billion worth of goods from them.’’

Also the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, told correspondents that FEC approved ‎bilateral air service agreement among Qatar, Singapore and Nigeria.

According to him, Singapore is becoming the most efficient and the biggest hob around the far eastern part of the globe, serving New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Singapore and Indonesia.

“We thought that in our efforts to also create a hob within Nigeria‎, the central Africa, we will leverage on the opportunity to create air services between the countries.

He said that Qatar, being in the Middle East, had robust aviation and strong carrier with ability to move goods and services in a very efficient and fast manner.

He added that the country also had the capacity to convey high value commodities by air.

He said that FEC saw the need to sign some agreement so that they would define how enterprises could do businesses across Nigeria, Qatar and Singapore.

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved that the air services agreement be signed.

He said that having been endorsed by FEC, the document ‎would be forwarded to the National Assembly for confirmation.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, moderated the briefing.(NAN)
DCU/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

NAN-H-97

Rape

By Grace Alegba

Lagos, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) Msgr. Gabriel Osu, the Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, on Wednesday blamed the rising incidence of rape in the country on poverty.

Osu, who stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos,  therefore, urged the Federal Government to improve the welfare of Nigerians.

Osu, who is the priest-in-charge of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Lekki, Lagos.

Cue in audio

“They say sex is the food of the poor. Why is it food of the poor, because there is overcrowding.

“Go to poor communities and what you see is overcrowding; no recreation, no food, no water, what happens?

“You begin to see rape; you begin to see all kinds of gangsterism that should not be there.

“The way they live in the rich sector, is not the way they live in the poverty stricken areas because there is no welfare they have nothing to bank on.

“What else can they do than to commit rape and commit nonsense and at the end of the day it leaves us backward.

“So government human management should be improved.

“Advice to parents, home training, give your children home training.

“When parents don’t have the time to train their children, parents are looking for money outside, no food inside.

“Proper upbringing, home training, education that is what will be the solution.’’

Cue out audio (NAN)

GA/ERO/LAB/YEE
Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Lydia Beshel

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NAN-F-31
Visa
Brussels, Nov. 16, 2016 (dpa/NAN) The European Commission (EU) on Wednesday said it wanted additional security checks on visitors to Europe, proposing a U.S.-style online system to vet visa-free travellers.

The EU said this would serve as part of efforts to clamp down on terrorism and illegal immigration.

Terrorism suspects in attacks on Paris and Brussels were among over one million migrants and refugees who crossed Europe’s borders in 2015.

This has prompted the EU leaders to renew their focus on external border security for the region’s passport-free Schengen area.

Under a new 227-million-dollar system that could take effect as of 2020, travellers from the European Union’s list of visa-free countries will have to get permission through an automated online system.

It will also pay a five-euro fee before entering any of the 26 Schengen countries.

“Operating costs for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) estimated at an annual average of 85 million euros will be covered by revenues from the five euro fee.

“ETIAS is the missing piece in the puzzle for managing the (EU’s) external borders,’’ EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris said.

It said that under the system, visitors would have to provide personal data, identification and answers to background questions that would be vetted against EU security databases.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2016 State of the Union address in September announced plans to propose the ETIAS system.

“This way we will know who is travelling to Europe before they even get here,” Juncker said.

The ETIAS proposal requires approval by the European Parliament and member states to take effect.

(dpa/NAN)

OYE/GY

Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Controlled by Grace Yussuf

NAN-S-17
Departure
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) The senior female National football team, Super Falcons, left Nigeria on Wednesday for the 2016 African Women Championship to defend the Women Africa Cup of Nations title.

Ademola Olajire, the Acting Director of Communication of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) disclosed this in a statement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the tournament will hold from Nov. 19 to Dec. 3.

The Super Falcons have been drawn in Group B with Ghana, Mali and Kenya.

Olajire said the contingent of 21 players and officials flew out of Abuja to Lagos in the morning, and then travelled from Lagos to Douala by an ASKY Airline flight on Wednesday afternoon.

He said that hours before the team’s departure for Cameroon, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, was at the team’s camp to offer words of motivation and encouragement.

“We are totally behind you and we cherish you as much as we cherish all other teams, and we are always proud about all you have achieved which remains a record in Africa.

“So, we are hopeful that you will remain the champions of Africa after the finals in Cameroon.

“I want to assure you that we respect you and will do all we can to meet your needs in spite of the financial challenges we have presently.

“We do not take you for granted and I promise that we will always treat you as the champions that you are and hopefully, our financial situation will improve very soon and we will be able to practically demonstrate how much we treasure you”, the NFF president said. (NAN)
BAY/DO/IEA
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Edited by David Onilede/Idahosa Asowata

NAN-H-77

Overhaul

Minna, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN)‎ The Niger State Assembly has passed a resolution calling for a total overhaul of the state Board of Internal Revenue, for its poor Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N2.427 billion from January to June.

The Assembly passed the ‎resolution on Wednesday in Minna, following the report of the Finance Committee on the presentations by the Commissioner for Finance and Budget and Planning on the state’s finances between January and June.

Presenting the report, the Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Abdullahi Mamagi, ‎decried the poor IGR, in spite of efforts at improving on the state’s revenue base.

“In fact, the‎re was no significant improvement compared to what obtained in the past; because out of the expected revenue of N4.5 billion for the period under review, only N2.4 billion was collected.

“This amount is further depleted by 10 per cent to local government areas in the state and another 10 per cent to the Board of Internal Revenue as incentive.”

Mamagi noted that the engagement of consultants to improve the state revenue had proved unrewarding, as the situation assumed a worsening dimension.

“The engagement of consultants which is supposed to improve the revenue is worsening the situation.”

The committee frowned at the arrangement whereby a consultant engaged in a specific area was paid a percentage of the total collection, describing it as fraudulent. ‎

“It was observed that 60 per cent of our IGR comes from ‘Pay As You Earn’‎, which doesn’t require the services of a consultant but the consultants were getting a percentage from the consolidated receipts,” he added‎.

He ‎maintained that the staffing of the board needed to be overhauled across all cadres in order to engage people who could drive the revenue targets of the state beyond expectations.

The committee called for the amendment of the law establishing the board to create a special salary scale for staff, to motivate them, as against the current practice of taking 10 per cent of the consolidated receipts on a monthly basis‎.

Meanwhile, the Assembly has given approval for the governor to access a N280.5-million loan for the purchase of 30 buses to enhance the operations of the Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA).

Following a motion moved by Alhaji Shuaibu Iya, the lawmakers resolved to summon the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, for alleged fraudulent allocation‎ of plots of land in Suleja.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, thereafter, asked the Clerk of the House to communicate to the executive the resolutions of the Assembly. (NAN)

AMEN/JEO/YEMI

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Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-H-91
Migrants
By Naomi Sharang
Abuja, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) Senator Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) says Nigeria ranks third among countries with the highest number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean sea to Europe.
Sani disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday when the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria, Mr Michel Arrion, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Cue in audio 1 (Sani)

“It is of concern that Nigeria ranks third as one country by which young men and women do try to cross the Sahara to the Mediteranean.
“The consequences of our young men and women moving away from Nigeria through the Sahara and trying to get to Europe is that three things happen.

“It’s that they either end up in the hands of terrorists in Libya or many of them end up as drug traffickers or they become sex slaves when they cross over to Europe.”
Cue out audio 1

Sani said it was  in reaction to the high rate of migration that he came up with the

`Pan Africa Initiative against Irregular Migration’ and another on `The Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East’.
According to him, the programme is aimed at stemming the tide of migration from Nigeria to Europe.

He said: “It also aims at bringing the parliament within the African continent to make this as a major agenda which we will pursue to the last.

“It is unfortunate that thousands of young men and women from Africa migrate from Africa to Europe risking their lives.

“It is an issue of concern that our young men and women that ought to remain at home and live a productive life are being deceived to embark on an elusive journey from sub-Saharan Africa through Libya.”

The lawmaker urged the government to lead the drive in bringing the issue of migration to global spotlight.

“Nigeria being a very important and leading country in the continent must lead the drive to bring this issue to an end,” he added.

He urged the EU to rescue and empower the migrants to enable them to serve their country and the continent in general.

Responding, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Michel Arrion, said it was sad to see young people losing their lives by embarking on the journey through the desert.

Cue in audio 2 (Arrion)

“We really must do something together. It is indeed something that the EU is doing with a few priority countries of Africa and in particular with Nigeria given simply the demographic weight of Nigeria.

“We do receive and welcome more than a million of refugees in Europe; over the last 12 months, we have received and welcomed more than one million of refugees; Asylum seekers,  people fleeing their country that is affected  by war.

“All those poor people leaving Syria, leaving Afghanistan, leaving Iraq – all those people have got the right to be considered asylum seekers.”

Cue out audio 2

Arrion said the refugees were protected by the 1954 Convention on Refugees.

He added that the union recognises the right of Nigerians to reside freely in EU.

“We have to work together to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the people.

“They have to be received decently by the European Union; decently treated and decently returned to Nigeria.”

He said the union would create job opportunities with a view to addressing the root causes of migration. (NAN)
NNL/YEE

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim
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Sani’s audio 1

Arrion’s audio 2

NAN-H-94

Education

Abuja, Nov. 16, 2017 (NAN) Stakeholders in the education sector will converge in Abuja to strategise on the best ways to improve education standard in the country, Mr Joseph Owoicho,  the Coordinator, Nigeria Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP), has said.

Owoicho told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the meeting would hold  from Nov. 17 to Nov. 23.

NIPEP is the implementing agency for the Global Partnership on Education (GPE) Fund, an international NGO that recently supported the Federal government with 100-million-dollar grant for the eradication of illiteracy in the northern region.

NAN learnt that 12,000 schools from Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Sokoto would benefit from the programme.

Owoicho said that the stakeholders would give reports on progress and challenges recorded so far in the cause of implementing the project in their various states.

According to him, the meeting, expected to attract no fewer than 90 participants, will open with a two-day workshop for gender desk officers from the participating states.

He said that the establishment of gender desks was necessary as girl-child education was paramount in the project which also aims to enhance education quality across the northern part of the country. (NAN)

KTE/DO/NKO

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Edited by David Onilede/Nkechi Okoronkwo

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NAN-H-93

Retirees

By Kate Obande

Abuja, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has intensified efforts to ensure that   retired teachers get their gratuities and pensions promptly.

Mr Michael Olukoya, National President of NUT, gave this insight in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

“This ugly trend if not tackled will spell doom for the education sector.

“This is because it is discouraging to us as teachers to know that after you retire, it takes years before you are paid your entitlements,’’ Olukoya said.

He said that members of the union in their various states had been directed to engage their state governments in ensuring that retired teachers were paid “as at when due’’.

Olukoya explained that the union had concluded plans to hold a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting later this month in Akwa-Ibom to discuss how to resolve the issue.

He urged the Federal Government to address the issue of discrimination in the terminal grade level of graduate teachers in primary and secondary schools across the federation.

Olukoya said that the government should ensure a uniform scheme of service for all teachers. (NAN)

KTE/DO: Edited by David Onilede/Morayo Omolade

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NAN-H-62
Salary
Dutse, Nov 16, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Government on Wednesday vowed to go after civil servants in the state who were collecting salaries from two places.

The State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Muhammad Tahir told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that the state ministry of finance had discovered 384 of such civil servants, using the Bank Verification Number (BVN).

He said that 284 of them had been collecting salaries both in the state and in other places outside the state where they were working.

According to him, the others collect salaries from the state government and other organisations they work for within the state.

The Head of Civil Service disclosed that they were currently sorting out various organisations and government parastatals within and outside the state where the civil servants worked.

He said that as soon as that was established, the government would ensure the affected workers return all the salaries they had been receiving from the state since they started collecting double salaries.

Tahir said it was unfortunate that some bad elements were still short-changing the government at a time the present administration was working hard to manage little resources to carry its responsibilities. (NAN)
MS/SOA

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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

NAN-H-83
NRC
By Kazeem Akande
Lagos, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhiria, said there would be no downsizing of the workforce as a result of the planned concession by the Federal Government.

Okihiria stated this while addressing the workers at the corporation’s headquarters on Wednesday in Lagos.

He said that workers would not lose their jobs as a result of the proposed concession of the corporation.

The managing director, however, said that the concession was part of government’s plan to improve the operations and services of the corporation.

According to him, the process will allow more trains to run and accommodate more people to work.

“It is a plan by government to make the operations and services of railway more vibrant. That is why it was proposed for concessioning.

“Concession means productivity and good services to both workers and the general public.

“It is a way of improving the operations and we are in position to negotiate with the concessionaire on how the process will go in order to make profit,’’ he said.

Okhiria said that the concession negotiation had not started between the two parties.

He advised the workers to be hard working and do away with the fear of downsizing.

The managing director said that the corporation had improved on its operations and services where goods and cattle were being transported from the Northern part to the Western part of the country for consumption and businesses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NURW) appealed to the Federal Government to withhold its planned concession of the corporation.

The Secretary General of NURW, Mr Segun Esan, said that there was no reason to defend privatisation and concession as policies of economic development.

Esan said that concession had simply reinforced underdevelopment, encouraged massive unemployment, massive corruption and social inequality. (NAN)
AKA/IKU/AJA
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(Edited by Tayo Ikujuni/Adeleye Ajayi)