Nigeria FG pays 2015 subsidy arrears to oil marketers

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Tuesday said the Federal Government had fully paid the N48.2 billion outstanding subsidy arrears owed oil marketers in 2015.

The ministry’s Director of Information, Mr. Salisu Dambatta, said this in a statement in Abuja.

The statement said the payment was made recently to enable the oil marketers to import petroleum products and meet up their other financial needs.

“The gross total outstanding subsidy claims accruable to the oil marketers for 2015 stood at N48.2 billion, while deductable tax liabilities payable to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) stood at N5.2 billion only,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the statement as saying on the matter. “

It also said the minister directed the Debt Management Office (DMO) to pay the claims less tax liability of N5.2 billion, which was computed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

It said that oil marketers without tax liabilities were paid in full, while oil marketers with net subsidy claims and FIRS liabilities were paid net claim after deduction of tax liabilities.

“Oil marketers that were indebted to FIRS and the seven oil marketers that are indebted to the Asset Management Company (AMCON) were not paid until they settled their debts with the two agencies,” the statement added.

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