Says senator earns N1.6m, Rep. N.784m monthly
THE Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has begun work on a new formula for sharing money accruing into the nation's coffers.
Chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam who disclosed this at an interactive session with the National Assembly members in Abuja yesterday, said the new formula will be ready in January next year.
Explaining why the new frame-work would not be ready earlier than January, Mbam explained: "We have a lot of fiscal issues to address and if we rush and produce what is not enforceable, that will be a problem. Our plan is to deliver in January."
At the event, the RMAFC boss sought the creation of the office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government as distinct from the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), saying the resources of the nation would be better managed if the two offices were created.
Responding to questions by some lawmakers on the subject matter, Mbam said: "The commission feels that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation should be separated from the Accountant-General of the Federal Government."
He suggested that as a way of clearing the doubts over the actual remuneration of members of the National Assembly, the management of the Legislature should publish it. He went further to disclose that the salary of a senator per month is N1.6 million while a member of the House of Representatives earns N794,000.00
On his part, the Director-General (DG), Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogwu, lamented the increase in salaries of some sections of the nation's workforce simultaneously a couple of months ago, noting that they ought to have been done in stages.
Also yesterday in Abuja, the newly-inaugurated federal legislators were told that in the first four months of the 2011 fiscal year, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had generated a whopping sum of over N1.245 trillion.
A statement by the FIRS Director of Communications, Mr. Emmanuel Obeta, quoted the Executive Chairman of the tax agency, Mrs. Ifueko Omogui-Okauru, as disclosing the figure.
The figure, according to Omogui-Okauru, represents 43.9 per cent of last year's yearly collection figure of N2.93 trillion. She noted that though the non-oil contribution and tax component of federally-collected revenue is looking up, there is room for improvement if Nigeria is to enjoy sustainable revenue.
Omoigui-Okauru, who spoke yesterday at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, at an interactive forum with members of National Assembly as part of the programme of events for the first sitting of the new lawmakers, revealed that as part of plans to ease the pains of the National Assembly members' needs for tax obligations and related transaction, the FIRS has secured an office at the NASS complex to take it closer to them.
The FIRS executive chairman said the creation of a tax office in the NASS complex is one of the items on the FIRS shopping list before federal lawmakers.
The FIRS chairman urged members of the National Assembly to support revenue generation by:
• Enacting laws that will encourage investment flows that broaden the tax base;
• Charging its Committee on Finance to vet all fiscal components of all bills and liaise with relevant agencies for effective co-ordination of policy and legislation; and
• Enacting laws that will address multiple taxation, among others.
Source: The Guardian.