Aso Villa Reads for 5/2/18
Every day, we bring you the best stories the media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria.
According to Punch “the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country are about installing appropriate technologies that will enable them to submit the information of wealthy customers and other taxpayers to the Federal Government under the Common Reporting Standard programme, which Nigeria signed up to last August.” The report said that this exercise is “a preparatory exercise to the Federal Government’s plan to prosecute defaulting taxpayers, especially the over 12,000 high net worth individuals across the country, who fails to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) which expires by March 31, 2018.”
Business Day (Monday 5th February 2018, page 18) reports that “over 27 Boko Haram insurgents surrendered to the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, in Maiduguri, Borno State. Theatre commander of the operation, Rogers Nicholas, disclosed to newsmen at the Military command and control centre, Maimalari Cantonment, in Maiduguri on Friday. He explained that 26 members of the terrorist group surrendered their weapons in Damboa, while one surrendered at the Magumeri axis as more terrorists had also indicated their willingness to surrender. He added that the military was doing everything to de-radicalise the repentant insurgents before handing them back to their families.”
“The Federal Government’s drive to improve the ease for doing business has received a boost as investors and would-be-business owners now have a handbook (Published by A&E Law Partnership) on how to obtain licenses and permits when doing business in selected sectors in the country.” According to The Eagle, “the Managing Partner of A&E Law Partnership, said that the ‘Doing Business’ handbook adopts a sectoral approach, respectively explaining the requirements for operating in insurance, aviation, sabotage, banking, energy and power, solid minerals, telecommunications, entertainment, food and beverages, private security, oil and gas, among others.”
“The plans by the Debt Management Office (DMO) to sell an additional $2.50 billion Eurobond in order to complete its debt programmes will increase Federal Government of Nigeria’s (FGN) portfolio to $8.80 billion from $6.30 billion. Nigeria has been selling Eurobonds to foreign investors issuing since the start of last year as it seeks to fund its capital budget and reduce local currency debt burden. The $2.5 billion will be used to refinance a portion of the country’s Treasury bill portfolio at lower costs. Patience Ohina, Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO) stated that government wants to increase the proportion of foreign borrowing to 40 percent of debt stock from under 30 percent presently.” Business Day (Monday 5th February 2018, page 33) reported.
THIS DAY reports that Cameroonian defence forces have been inducted into Operation Lafiya Dole to join to intensify the onslaught against Boko Haram insurgents. According to the report, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said that “the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas, led a joint team of Field Commanders from Operation Lafiya Dole and Cameroonian Defence Forces to formally receive and induct Cameroonian troops who arrived Gwoza to join in the ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in the North-eastern Nigeria and the borders between Nigeria and Cameroon.”
In a bid to further strengthen the business environment in the country, the Federal Government commenced the third 60-day National Action Plan (NAP 3.0) today. Business Day (Monday 5th February 2018, page 39) stated that “a statement released by Laolu Akande, spokesman for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), approved the plan at a meeting chaired by the Vice President. Osinbajo restated the government’s commitment in making business work in Nigeria, as he stressed the need to engage continuously with public and civil servants, with a special focus on permanent secretaries and heads of agencies, to encourage sustainability in the ease of doing business initiatives of the administration.”
According to THIS Day, the Federal Government has created over seven million jobs since the Buhari administration began. The report said that the “jobs have been created through engagements in the agricultural sector, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said”.
Business Day (Monday 5th February 2018, page 43) reported that the Federal Government “has reaffirmed commitment towards rolling out policies and programmes that will help eradicate malaria and other terminal diseases in the country. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, stated this in Abuja, during an interactive session with Chike Ogbonna, a professor of the University of Jos who made a presentation on the commercial cultivation and processing of herbal plant for malaria eradication. The minister added that once the report supports the one presented at the meeting, the Ministry will support the process to develop drugs for the eradication of Malaria and management of HIV AIDS and diabetes.”
