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‘China Prepared To Lend More’, FG Not Discussing Debt Forgiveness With Beijing — Minister

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The Federal Government of Nigeria says it is not discussing debt forgiveness with China, noting that Beijing is willing to lend Nigeria more money and invest more in the economy of Nigeria.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, stated this on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

Nigeria has been making proposals for debt forgiveness at the United Nations General Assembly for some years now but this hasn’t been achieved.

At the recent 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, pushed for reform of the international financial system to include “comprehensive debt relief measures, to enable sustainable financing for development”.

Asked whether any of the multilateral or bilateral loans obtained by Nigeria was cancelled at this year’s UNGA, the foreign minister said, “Under President Obasanjo, we benefited from debt forgiveness.

It’s a process; it’s not just an event, it takes time but you have to be there, you have to be present, and then these things happen, they don’t happen overnight.

“The effect that we felt the last time we had debt forgiveness did not just happen with one UNGA.”

According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s external debt stock as of March 2024 was N56trn ($42bn) while domestic debt stood at N65trn ($46.29bn).

China is one of the lenders to Nigeria.

Asked whether Nigeria is in talks with Beijing for debt relief considering that Tinubu met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping of late, the minister said that was not the case.

Tuggar said, “No, that is not what we are discussing with China.

And when it comes to the issue of debt, look at the debt-to-GDP ratio of Nigeria, we are not even among the critically indebted nations.

“When you talk about the debt of a developing country, Nigeria is not in that sort of precarious situation.

As a matter of fact, China is prepared to lend more, China is prepared to invest more in Nigeria in terms of infrastructure development and other things.”

The minister also said Nigeria would join BRICS+, a nine-member economic and political force, at the right time.

As of December 2004, Nigeria owed a total of $36bn (which amounted to N4.8trn at the exchange rate of N134/$1).

$30.84bn of the country’s external debt at the time was borrowed from the Paris Club, alongside other bilateral and multilateral facilities.

The Paris Club is an official group of money lenders formed in 1956 with headquarters in Paris, France.

Nigeria borrowed funds for developmental projects from members of the group such as the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and eight other countries. Some of the funds borrowed were long before Obasanjo’s administration.

President Olusegun Obasanjo’s debt relief campaign in 2005 saw the Paris Club grant Nigeria a debt relief of $18bn out of the $30.8bn outstanding.

As an exit strategy, Nigeria paid Paris Club creditors $12.4bn which represented $6.3bn regularisation of arrears and a balance of $6.1bn.

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NRS Chair: New tax laws won’t be implemented until January

According to Adedeji, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS by the signing of the bills into Law is now the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), explaining that the new law now defines the NRS’s expanded mandates…

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•President Bola Tinubu shake hands with NRS Chairman, Zach Adedeji.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (formerly FIRS), Zach Adedeji, has disclosed that the implementation of the newly signed four tax fiscal reform laws will commence by January 1st, 2026.

Adedeji told State House correspondents shortly after the President signed the bills into law, the previous day.

Adedeji said that the modalities will be put in place ahead of the implementation.

Adedeji further explained that the six-month period between the enactment of the new fiscal laws is designed to give ample time to those saddled with the implementation to carefully prepare and ensure that all Nigerians are adequately sensitised.

According to Adedeji, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS by the signing of the bills into Law is now the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), explaining that the new law now defines the NRS’s expanded mandate, including non-tax revenue collection, and lays out transparency, accountability, and efficiency mechanisms.

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President Tinubu List Economic Expectations from New Tax Laws

On his verified X handle @officialABAT, the President had said that the new tax laws form the groundwork for the Nigeria of tomorrow, focused on unlocking opportunities for all.

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President Bola Tinubu said today that the four tax reforms bills he signed into law reflect his administration’s resolve to create a modern, transparent, and efficient tax system capable of supporting national development, promoting investment, and reducing the burden of multiple taxation on citizens.

President Tinubu explained that the laws would be unifying Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, remove redundant overlaps, boost investor confidence, enhance transparency, and promote coordinated efforts across all levels.

He also described the legislation as a clear departure from previous policies, emphasising that the reforms are designed to ease the burden on working families, small businesses, and low-income earners while eliminating inefficiencies that have long plagued Nigeria’s fiscal structure.

On his verified X handle @officialABAT, the President had said that the new tax laws form the groundwork for the Nigeria of tomorrow, focused on unlocking opportunities for all.

“We are also building a framework for the Nigeria of tomorrow-leaner, fairer and laser focused on unlocking opportunities for all,” he said.

He added : ” These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet.

Designed to overhaul Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue administration framework, the laws which have been described as a major leap in the nation’s economic reform drive.

“For too long, our tax system has been a patchwork-complex, inequitable, and burdensome. It has weighed down the vulnerable and shielded inefficiency. That era ends today.”

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Tinubu signs four Tax Reform Bills to law today

The bills were recently passed by the National Assembly following extensive stakeholders consultations and technical reviews.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today (Thursday) sign into law four tax reform bills set to overhaul Nigeria’s fiscal landscape, streamline tax administration, and boost investor confidence.

The ceremonial signing is scheduled to take place at the State House, Abuja.

In a statement , Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said that the four bills are : the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill

The bills were recently passed by the National Assembly following extensive stakeholders consultations and technical reviews.

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