ABSTRACT
The study examined the implications of the implementation of the treasury single account policy on the performance of commercial banks in Nigeria. The study established that TSA is a unified structure of government bank accounts enabling consolidation and judicious management of government cash resources. The sample of the study comprised ten commercial banks in Nigeria namely Skye Bank, United Bank for Africa, Diamond Bank, First Bank, Fidelity Bank, Keystone Bank, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and Unity Bank. The data used in the study were computed from the annual financial reports of selected banks. The year 2015 was gauged as the benchmark, since TSA was implemented in that year. The years -2013 and 2014 constituted the pre-TSA period and the years- 2016 and 2017 constituted the post-TSA period. The performance comparison was based on four variables. Return on asset and return on equity were used to measure profitability; current ratio was used to measure liquidity and the ratio of non-performing loans to total loans and advances was used to measure loan performance. The independent t-test analysis was employed to compare the performance of selected banks before and after TSA implementation.The findings of the study revealed that: The average return on asset and return on equity of selected banks were higher in the pre-TSA period; The average current ratio of selected banks was higher in the pre-TSA period; The average ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was higher in the post-TSA period; There is no significant difference in the profitability of selected banks before and after the implementation of TSA (t=1.101; p>0.05); (t=1.401; p>0.05); There is no significant difference in the liquidity of selected banks before and after the implementation of TSA (t= 1.909; p>0.05); There is no significant difference in the loan performance of selected banks before and after the implementation of TSA (t= -0.738; p>0.05).The study concludes that the implementation of TSA has no significant influence on the performance of selected commercial banks in Nigeria.The study suggested that; Commercial banks should source funds from other sectors of the economy; TSA should be informed and guided by the availability of clear operational basis technology infrastructure that supports the implementation of the model of their choice; The Central Bank of Nigeria should go beyond the guidelines and put in place measures to correct any lapses of the policy both on the banking sector and the economy at large.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The background of Treasury Single Account (TSA) is in accordance with Executive order NO. 55b (2011), which stipulated that the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) shall operate a Treasury Single Account (TSA) to receive remittance of collections of internal revenue taxes / custom duties from Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) / Bureau of Customs (BOC), authorized agent banks as well as other National Government Agencies from authorized government depository banks. The TSA, which shall be maintained at the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), will align the government policy of greater financial management and control of its cash resources and allow the unification of the structure of government bank accounts to enable consolidation and optimum utilization of government cash resources. [Bailder, CO: West View. Sun Editorial (2015)].
The banking sector of Nigeria is one of the major contributors to the growth and development in Nigeria. The economic and financial growth and status of most countries especially the developing nations depends on the level of stability in the banking industry, that’s to say that the performance of the banking sector has a significant effect on the economy of a nation.
The Treasury Single Account is a public accounting system in which all government revenue, receipts and income are collected into one single account, usually maintained by the country’s Central Bank and all payments is done through this account as well. The purpose is primarily to ensure accountability of government revenue, enhance transparency and avoid disapprobation of public funds. The maintenance of a Treasury Single Account will help to ensure proper cash management by eliminating idle funds usually left with different commercial banks and in a way enhance reconciliation of revenue collection and payment [Adeolu, 2015].
According to IMF (2010), Treasury Single Account is a unified structure of government bank account that gives a consolidated view of government cash resources. Based on the principle of unity of cash and the unity of treasury, a treasury single account is a bank account or a set of linked accounts through which the government transacts all its receipts and payment. [Lienert, 2009].
Section 80 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended states “All revenues, or other moneys raised or received by the Federation (not being revenues or other moneys payable under this Constitution or any Act of the National Assembly into any public fund of the Federation established for a specific purpose) shall be paid into and from one Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation”; successive government have continued to operate multiple accounts for the collection and spending of government revenue in flagrant disregard to the provision of the constitution which requires that all government revenue be remitted into a single account. The commercial banks were the beneficiary of this situation; most banks depend on the public fund deposited by ministries, at the end the federal government of Nigeria comes back to borrow the money with high interest rate. It was not until 2012 that government ran a pilot scheme for a single account using 217 ministries, departments and agencies as a test case. The pilot scheme saved Nigeria about N500 billion in frivolous spending. The success of the pilot scheme motivated the government to fully implement TSA, leading to the directive to all banks to implement the technology platform that will help accommodate the TSA scheme. The directive by President Mohammed Buhari that all government revenues should be remitted to a Treasury Single Account is in consonance with this programme and in compliance with the Provisions of the 1999 constitution (CBN, 2015).