Group tells ICPC to probe TSA compliance, explain service charge
Admin l Thursday, April 04, 2019
LAGOS, Nigeria – The African Leadership Strategy and Transparency Development Initiative(ALSTD) has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to extend its ongoing probe of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to include their level of compliance to the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
“In the same vein, we also implore the Federal Government to explain its decision to transfer the burden of transacting with the TSA to the citizens in line with international transparency best practices.
It is indubitable that the implementation of the Treasury Single Account policy is one of the most significant achievements of the current Federal Government administration”, the group said in a statement by its executive director, Nelson Ossaieze.
He said media reports are rife on how TSA has drastically improved accountability and transparency and delivering a monthly savings of about N24.7 billion.
“This feat is despite the alleged non-compliance or partial compliance by certain MDAs and exclusion of foreign accounts from the scheme”, he said, stressing the need for ICPC to openly investigate the level of adherence to the policy by MDAs in order to consolidate on the remarkable achievement of the policy thus far.
According to him, in November 2018, the Federal Government suddenly directed that the cost of operating the scheme should be transferred to the payers – the citizens.
“The change, according to the Accountant General of the Federation, was premised on the unsustainable nature of the cost of servicing the policy.
Non-card payments to the government now attract a flat service charge of ₦157.50K and card payments now cost ₦150 plus 0.75% of the amount being paid, subject to a maximum of ₦1,200 per transaction. Understandable as this appears, owing to the long-term impact on the nation’s economy, the lack of proper public sensitisation leaves much to the desired from the FG”, he said.
He said Nigerians are unaware of the policy change prior to the effective date and that reports indicate that the operators, like other players in the process, had this sudden reality forced on them.
He called on the FG to bridge the inherent knowledge gap in the public space by embarking on a nationwide sensitisation campaign and highlight the long-term benefits rather than allow the current misinformation to linger.
He applauded the role played by the indigenous firm in delivering the TSA project in record-time when foreign companies could not deliver and for their patriotic successful sustenance of the TSA regime.
