The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has said that it has recorded 35% performance in the implementation of the 2016 budget between the period of January and September 2016.
The Executive Secretary, Barr. Hassan Bello revealed this before the members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport who were on oversight visit to the Council’s headquarters in Lagos.
According to him, the Council had remitted a total of N408 million to government treasury within the period.
He said the Council has recorded 23% performance in the capital expenditure within the period under review expressed the hope that with some of the contracts awarded recently, the Council would achieve 81% performance or even more before the end of the year.
In his further submission, he said “For the Executive Summary of the budget performance from January to September, we have revenue target which is N14 billion, we have realised N5 billion, the balance is still N9 billion. So, 35% is the performance. For expenditure, we have what we have explained and the representative percentage. We capital expenditure of 23% but we hope this will increased tremendously because we have just recently awarded contracts after going through the procedure. We are hoping Distinguished Senators to reach 79% to 81% of our budget performance or even more.
“So, remittances to the government treasury is N408 million, total expenditure is N4.7 billion. Realization of additional 1% IGR spending for the Council making a total of 2%”.
He disclosed that the provisions Public Procurement Act 2007 frustrated the speed of 2015 capital budget, causing it to perform below target. Accordingly, he urged the Senators to find a way of abridging the application of the Act so that development in the sector is fast tracked.
Barr. Bello added that within the period, training of staff was vigorously pursued by the council adding that, “the particular budget did not perform due to the fact that the salary structure in which the budget was predicted upon is yet to be implemented and the reason being that we as regulators take our work very seriously and we need to motivate ourselves to have a living wage so that they will be able to confront the industry very well”.
He said the late approval of the budget in May 2015 caused serious delay and distortions in the ports.
He informed that the activities relating to the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) commenced in 2015 noting that they were going to give the committee members a paper in order for the committee members to help the council in implementing it.
“By the time they pay, we are going to have 100% and that is the more reason why we want you to note that the prompt collection of this revenue is very important to us and we are going to present to you details of the total collection”, he said.
Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Sanni Yerima commended the council on their budget performance.
Senator Yerima said some of the projects being executed by the NSC as highlighted by the Executive Secretary including the establishment of a truck transit park, take off of the Inland dry ports among others if well implemented would help in enhancing port operations.
Industry experts say this may be the second time the lawmakers are touring port facilities and agencies this year.
