Business

Again, naira crosses N700/$ mark at parallel market

Again, naira crosses N700/$ mark at parallel market

The naira has continued its downward trend, falling to N702 per dollar at the parallel market on Monday. The figure represents N10 or 1.4 percent depreciation compared to the N692 it traded last week. Bureaux De Change (BDC) operators in Lagos and Abuja, who spoke to TheCable, said that there is high demand for foreign currency in the street market. The street traders, popularly known as ‘abokis‘ put the buying price of the dollar at N690 and the selling price at N700-N702, leaving a profit margin of N10-N12. Last month, the naira weakened to N707 a dollar. It later strengthened…
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Are States, LGAs Now Above The Law?

Are States, LGAs Now Above The Law?

We are living in interesting times in Nigeria. Issues of public discourse never cease to amaze one in this country. When you think that you have seen and heard it all, something risible would just pop up like a bolt out of the blues to add to the dramatic turn of events that are unfolding all around us. The Body of Attorneys-General of the 36 States of the Federation (BOAG), rising from its Conference which was held in Lagos State recently, issued a communique in which it erroneously claimed that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) "lacks the power to…
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Taxes cushion oil revenue slump as FIRS grows collections

Taxes cushion oil revenue slump as FIRS grows collections

.....Corporate taxes trump oil earnings for first time on record Although taxes now seem to be the main revenue source of the government, it would need even more attention to become the new oil as the amount generated from the source remains low relative to government spending For the first time in nearly half a century, non-oil revenue usurped petrodollars to become the main source of the Nigerian federal government’s revenue in 2021 and that dominance has grown since then. So dominant has non-oil revenue become compared to oil that in the recently published financial accounts of the federal government,…
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MTN Makes U-Turn, Admits Not Paying N757.7bn Tax To FIRS

MTN Makes U-Turn, Admits Not Paying N757.7bn Tax To FIRS

Nigeria’s biggest network provider, MTN Nigeria has reversed itself on the claims that it remitted N757.5bn to the Federal Government in 2021. The company said last week that the actual amount paid to the tax authority- the Federal Inland Revenue Service in 2021 was N291.67bn. “Without prejudice but specific to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), direct remittances by the company to FIRS in 2021 was N291.7bn. While the balance represents VAT, levies, fees and duties paid to other Federal Government agencies.,” MTN reversed earlier claims. The telecom firm said VAT on revenue paid to the government was N98.99bn; Withholding…
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Naira continues free fall at official rate, exchanges at N426.58 per dollar

Naira continues free fall at official rate, exchanges at N426.58 per dollar

The naira lost against the dollar on Wednesday at the Investors and Exporters’ window, exchanging at N426.58. The figure represented a depreciation of 0.57 per cent compared with N424.17 it exchanged for the dollar on Tuesday. The open indicative rate closed at N426.50 to the dollar on Wednesday. An exchange rate of N444 to the dollar was the highest rate recorded within the day’s trading before it settled at N426.58. The naira sold for as low as N414 to the dollar within the day’s trading. A total of 144.03 million dollars was traded in foreign exchange at the official Investors…
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NCAA Suspends Dana Air Operations Indefinitely

NCAA Suspends Dana Air Operations Indefinitely

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended Dana Airlines’ Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC), indefinitely. NCAA Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu, announced this in a statement on Wednesday. He stated that the suspension of the operations of the airlines would take effect from midnight of July 20. “The suspension was made pursuant to Section 35(2), 3(b) and (4) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and Part 1.3.3.3(a)(1) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015,” Nuhu said. According to him, the suspension order has since been communicated to the management of Dana Airlines. The NCAA chief…
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VAT Row: Court of Appeal Rules In Favour of FIRS

VAT Row: Court of Appeal Rules In Favour of FIRS

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos today has upheld the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), against the Lagos Hotel Owners Association of Nigeria. The Court of Appeal set aside the Federal High Court judgment in favour of the Association. In 2019, the Association had gotten a judgment from the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, whereby the court had invalidated the powers of the FIRS to collect VAT from the members of the Association. The FIRS thereafter appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal. Today judgment has affirmed the authority of FIRS to collect…
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Peter Obi’s $12.24m Investment For Anambra Now Worth $5.4m – Anambra State Govt Reveals

Peter Obi’s $12.24m Investment For Anambra Now Worth $5.4m – Anambra State Govt Reveals

An investment of $12.24 million made by Peter Obi as Anambra State governor on behalf of the state government in International Breweries is now down to $5.38 million. Peter Obi had claimed in an interview with Arise TV in 2018 that he invested over $20 million in International Breweries on behalf of Anambra state as a governor, and that the investment was worth almost $100 million at the time. In the interview, Obi said, “Tomorrow, they are commissioning a facility in Sagamu, International Breweries, the biggest brewery in Africa. Anambra state is the single highest shareholder in that facility, I…
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Soludo debunks claim on Obi’s $20m investment, says it’s fake news

Soludo debunks claim on Obi’s $20m investment, says it’s fake news

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, has debunked a statement credited to him that a purported investment of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, in the state has yielded returns. Obi served as Anambra governor three different times from 2006 to 2014, owing to a series of legal battles occasioned by impeachment and issues on election schedule. The former Anambra governor’s presidential ambition has gained popularity among Nigerian youths on social media. In May, there were posts on social media claiming that Soludo said Obi invested $20 million in SABMiller Plc, now AB InBev, on behalf of the state…
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FIRS To Commence Nationwide Monitoring On Tax Compliance

FIRS To Commence Nationwide Monitoring On Tax Compliance

Visits to include MDAs, NGOs, other corporate bodies... The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has stated that it would embark on a nationwide Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT) compliance exercise from July, 2022. This information is contained in a public notice announcing the compliance monitoring exercise, and signed by the FIRS Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami. The exercise is coming on the heels of an earlier notice by the Service to commence the enforcement and recovery of unremitted tax deductions owed the Federation by some States and Local Governments. The VAT and Withholding Tax Compliance Monitoring exercise will…
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