NNPC moves to recover $9.6b owed Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) has begun the process of recovering over $7 billion in over-deducted tax benefits from JV Partners on major capital projects.

The Group Managing Director, GMD of NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu had commenced Performance Measurement & Benchmarking as well as Value for Money Review of NNPC and the JV Companies covering the period 2008 – 2013.

A report submitted to the President on the matter, indicated that this process may lead to further cost recovery, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Sunday.

The report said a reputable International Accounting Firm has been engaged by the NNPC to ascertain the exact amount due government on the Strategic Alliance Contracts entered by NPDC, where up to $2.46 billion of government money is to be recovered.

The statement from the Presidency was silent on the names of the joint venture partners from which the NNPC plans to demand the refund.

However, some of the international oil companies that are JV partners of the NNPC include Shell, Agip, Mobil, Chevron and Texaco among others.

The NNPC is responsible for the management of the exploration bidding rounds for oil and gas as multinational oil companies operate in partnership with NNPC under Production Sharing Contracts.

An extensive investigation of the various toxic crude oil for refined products swap contracts, a total sum of $420 million has so far been reconciled in favour of NNPC and is now due for recovery from the legacy OPA/SWAP contracts, the report showed.

“Out of the reconciled amount, the sum of $277 million has been recovered in lieu of products and the recovery effort is still ongoing” the statement added.

Shehu said that progress is being made toward bringing back the nation’s refineries to full production, noting that the management of the NNPC is working to ensure that this happens before the end of this year.

“If this is completed, the report said, it is expected to achieve an annual savings of about $1billion worth of foreign exchange from fuel import substitution and additional total saving of over $500 million annually will be made from the petrochemical products of Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company.

“The report also disclosed that efforts at repositioning the NNPC have started yielding result on the nation’s economy” he said.

According to the content of the report, gas supply to the power plants that had hitherto been handicapped by the supply of much-needed gas, has improved significantly from about 630 to 861 million standard cubic feet per day, which has resulted in a more steady power supply being witnessed in the country.

“Indeed, the report revealed that gas supply for power and peak generation have in recent times reached a historical high of 876 million standard cubic feet per day and 4,782 Mega Watts respectively” the statement read .

The report, Shehu said showed that the GMD of NNPC is committed to continued review of all existing contracts and addressing the ones that are not favourable to the Corporation, ensuring the Corporation remains profitable in the prevailing low crude oil price regime.

 

Elizabeth Archibong