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Stakeholders, Others Disagree Over $800m Fuel Subsidy Palliative

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Stakeholders in the petroleum industry, weekend, frowned over the Federal Government’s proposed $800 million fuel subsidy palliative to be shared with Nigerians.

As part of a palliative targeted at easing the pains of Nigerians, $800 million has been proposed for distribution to 10 million households.

But in an interview with Vanguard, Executive Director of Emmanuel Egbogal Foundation, Professor Wumi Iledare, said, “Subsidy is not anti-economics but the application of the tool has become an enigma in Nigeria’s economy perhaps because of lack of transparency and accountability. However, borrowing money for transfer payments to avert social unrest or protest against PMS subsidy removal is not sustainable and it is just a postponement of the evil day.

READ ALSO: FG Gets $800m World Bank Grant For Subsidy Palliatives

“The option for the government today is a partial price deregulation phased over a period by regulation with price modulation mechanism.

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“Price discrimination is also a possibility, which has theoretical underpinnings. The $800 million seems to be politically laudable. It’s not just economically feasible in the long term to minimize the social welfare losses that come with subsidy. Increasing wages is not recommended under the prevailing inflationary economy. It will be a double shock to a sluggish economy.”

Also, Managing Director, Winman Nigeria Limited, Dr. Godwin Orovwiroro, faults the government’s planned palliative, adding that “the $800 million loan is intended to cushion the impact of subsidy removal particularly the effect on the economically disadvantaged Nigerians. Subsidy removal has been on the front burner of economic and political policies and it appears to be the only issue being flaunted by politicians as our economic ailment.”

READ ALSO: Fuel Subsidy Removal Wasteful If Importation Persists – Expert

He said: “Some believe that its removal will cure our social malaise. These are narrow-minded approaches as no empirical evidence exists to show that the injection of the loan will solve anything. Let us examine the basis of fuel subsidy. The government’s position is that the cost of importation, including landing charges is more than the selling pump price. The differential being borne by the government represents the subsidy since the dispensing price is fixed and not subject to market forces.

“What they fail to tell us is that as long as the Naira keeps falling against the dollar, the subsidy malaise will never be cured. The exchange rate has become the amplifier of subsidy and the equation will always tilt to the negative until we embark on production for export to stabilize the exchange rate by the government to ease logistics of fuel distribution across the country as well as domestic freight costs.”

VANGUARD

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JUST IN: CBN Increases Interest Rate To 24.75%

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The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has today concluded its two-day meeting for March 2024.

This meeting marks the second MPC meeting for the year 2024 and also the 294th meeting of the CBN.

The MPC at the end of today’s meeting elected to hike the MPR by 200 basis points.

The Committee voted as follows: Raise the MPR by 200bps to 24.75 from 22.75 per cent
Increase the asymmetric corridor to +100bps/-300 basic points.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: CBN Sells Forex To BDCs At N1,251/$1

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Retain the Cash Reserve Ratio of Deposit Money Banks at 45 per cent and Adjust the CRR of Merchant banks from 10 per cent to 14 per cent.

The CBN retains a liquidity ratio of 13 per cent.

Details later…

 

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JUST IN: CBN Sells Forex To BDCs At N1,251/$1

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a circular to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators informing them that they sold $10,000 to each BDC at a rate of N1,251 per US dollar.

Nairametrics reports that the CBN, in a circular, instructed each BDC to sell the dollars to eligible customers at a rate not exceeding 1.5% above the purchase price.

READ ALSO:Tips For Online Registration Of Prospective Corps Members

It reads: “We refer to our letter to you referenced TED/DIR/CON/GOM/001/071 in respect of the above subject wherein the CB approved a second tranche of sale of FX to eligible BDCs.

“We write to inform you of the sale of $10,000 to each BDC at the rate of N1,251/$1. The BDCs are to sell to eligible end users at a spread of NOT MORE THAN 1.5 per cent above the purchase price.”

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Financial Institution Launches Indigenous Micro Insurance Software To Boost Customers Confidence

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The acting Managing Director, Prudent Choice Micro Insurance, Mrs. Gloria Onosolease, has said that the launch of its indigenous micro insurance software, named Insuretech, will help boost customers confidence and ensure accountability in the sector.

She disclosed this during the official launch of its Insuretech software in Benin.

Mrs. Onosolease said the achievement will significantly shape the nascent micro insurance landscape in Nigeria and indeed, across the African continent.

Onosolease said the newly developed software heralds a pivotal advancement in enhancing customer interaction and satisfaction, while concurrently optimizing their internal operations to foster efficiency.

She added that in a fiercely competitive industry such as insurance, embracing technology is indispensable to their continuous success and sustainability.

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READ ALSO: Tips For Online Registration Of Prospective Corps Members

She said that the micro insurance sector in Nigeria, particularly in Edo State, is undergoing a phase of unprecedented growth with a population exceeding five million people where a substantial portion of which is engaged in low income and medium sized enterprises spanning rural, urban and semi-urban areas.

She said due to this, there exists an urgent demand for accessible and inclusive insurance solutions but regrettably, this demographic has long been underserved and marginalized in terms of insurance protection.

She further said that with the launch of Insuretech, it will help mitigate the financial risks encountered by low income earners and small to medium scale enterprises.

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