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Reps Warns Against Corruption In Petrol Distribution Chain

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The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Review of Pump Price of Petrol has said that it will not relent in recommending sanctions against any entity found involved in corruption in the petroleum distribution chain.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Raphael Igbokwe, made the remark in an interview with The Tide source in Lagos.
Igbokwe spoke on the sidelines of the committee’s visit to some government agencies and private sectors involved in transportation and distribution of petrol from the ports to the consumers.
He said that the committee would not relent in recommending any defaulter to the parliament to enable Nigerians to know those frustrating government’s efforts in making fuel available and affordable.
According to him, the committee would also commend the efforts of operators who were adding value in the value chain.
“We want to see that operators at every level are adding value to the value chain.
“At the tail end, we want Nigerians to be getting value for the money they are paying.
“One thing that clear is that subsidy had been removed but we believe that subsidy had been transferred from the government now to the people.
“People are paying for the cost differential from their own pocket. So people should be seen as getting value for their money,’’ Igbokwe said.
The law maker said that both the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had some international obligations they have to sort out.
According to him, NPA and NIMASA said they usually buy their equipment with foreign currency and render certain obligations to some clients, who paid in foreign exchange.
Igbokwe said that “to the committee, such explanation from NPA and NIMASA did not hold water at this point until the committee carry out its studies.’’
“Our committee intends to carry out economic study of what are the charges and related costs around Africa, especially in West African coast.
“To see if these charges are commensurate with what is obtainable in other areas.
“You will agree with me that such charges in foreign currency put pressure and this is one of the complaints we got from oil marketers in sourcing foreign currency.
“The charges put pressure on our local currency because these are operations taking place within the geographical areas of Nigeria,’’ Igbokwe told newsmen.
He said that all Nigerian economic activities should be naira-based, adding that the committee had challenged the government agencies for charging operators in dollars while their budgets before the parliament were reflected in naira.
The committee chairman said that government agencies charging operators foreign currency were putting pressure on the naira and creating room for devaluation and inflation.
He said that the committee would also make further findings to make comparison of what is obtainable in other places.
Igbokwe said that the monetary law did not in any way permit the dollarisation of transactions in Nigeria.
He said that all transactions in Nigeria should be domiciled in naira.
“If the price of a barrel of crude oil could be determined in consultation with the parliament and the volume of crude product daily which is standing at N2.2 million barrels per day now can be determined with the representatives of the people.
“We are thinking why the price of the product from the crude oil cannot be determined in consultation with the representatives of the people.
“Looking at the cost structure of the price template, we approached each cost element and operators at that level from the jetty charges, jetty owners, storage fees, to look at what value each player is adding in the value chain.
“We have identified possible causes of changes in price such as scarcity arising from operational inefficiency and scarcity created by players in the industry.
“Most marketers have complained of lack of access to foreign exchange.
“CBN sells the foreign exchange directly to players in the downstream sector to bring in the products and yet we found out that there were no enough products coming in.
“Our clue is pointing to the forex being released to some marketers and they are applying them for other purposes different from what they had specified the forex for.
“This is given room for lesser quantity of products coming in as per the quarterly planning of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), ‘’ Igbokwe said.
Reports have it that the committee had visited  NPA, NIMASA, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Sahara Energy, Masters Energy Oil & Gas, NIPCO Oil and Gas, among others.

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Eazipay  Offers Zero-Interest Loans To  150,000 SMEs, Employees

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With a mission to ignite growth, encourage business continuity and help businesses and employees thrive, Eazipay is gearing up to propel the dreams of 150,000 SMEs and employees to new heights through her relief fund.
Gone are the days of financial constraints and stifled dreams. With Eazipay’s support, SMEs and employees alike can bid farewell to limitations and embrace a world of endless possibilities.
Whether it’s start up,  business expansion or personal development, Eazipay is here to make dreams come true.
The mind-blowing initiative, which  kicked off this month, would end in December, and will also offer a range of perks and benefits designed to put a smile on the faces of SMEs and employees alike.
From exclusive discounts to various advisory services and beyond, Eazipay is committed to spreading happiness and creating lasting impact in people’s lives and to the growth of businesses.
The technology company which offers products and services that range from payroll management to IT/Device management and assessments, “Eazipay isn’t just providing financial support but also unleashing a wave of growth and prosperity for SMEs and employees across the nation.
“Interested businesses and individuals can take part in this initiative directly from the Eazipay website: www.myeazipay.com”.

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SMEs Critical For Sustainable Dev – Commissioner

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The Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Abayomi Oluyomi, has described Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a critical engine for sustainable development in any economy.
He said this recently at the 10th anniversary of the Alert Group Microfinance Bank and the opening of their new head office in Lagos.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs accounted for about 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross.
He commended the positive impact of the Alert MFB as it empowers SMEs in the State.
“Alert MFB in the past 10 years has been at the forefront of empowering SMEs in Lagos State, disbursing over N30bn in loans to over 30,000 individuals having small to medium businesses over that period, which is quite remarkable”, he said.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director of Alert Group, Dr Kazeem Olanrewaju, revealed that the financial institution commenced business in 2013 as a microfinance bank.
“We started this journey in 2013 and it has been expanding. Today, they have about 10 branches across Lagos. They have supported well over 30,000 clients and have disbursed over N30bn.
“The company has been profitable since the second year. Looking at the market and the available opportunity, the Alert MFB board decided to come together to establish a Microfinance Institute (MFI), which is the Auto Bucks Lenders”, Dr. Olanrewaju said.
The GMD further stated that the company was focused more on supporting businesses and small and medium enterprises.
“The loan to support business represents over 98 per cent. The consumer loans you will see are the ones given to entrepreneurs. So, the area of focus of Alert MFB and Auto Bucks Lenders is to support businesses across the country.
“With the establishment of Auto Bucks Lenders, we have the opportunity to also do business outside Lagos. So, presently, we have offices in Ogun State and Oyo State. We intend to go to every part of Nigeria to support what we are doing”, he declared.

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Retailers Explain Price Drop In  Cement Cost

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The cement market, in the last couple of weeks, has seen a significant turnaround with prices tumbling from between N10,000 and N15,000 per 50kg bag to between N7,000 and N8,000.
The sudden rise in the prices of cement and other major building materials in February this year upsets  the construction industry, especially in real estate, where many developers were forced to abandon building sites.
A recent market survey conducted by The Tide’s source in different locations across the country confirmed a price drop, ranging between N7,000 and N7,500 per bag, though BUA cement is selling for N7,500 to N7,800 per 50kg bag, depending on location.
Both entrepreneurs and major distributors who were interviewed,  explained that the price drop is due to low demand and government’s intervention.
At the peak of the price hike, the Federal Government called a meeting with major producers where it was agreed that a bag of cement should be between for N7,000 to N8,000, depending on location.
But the producers did not comply with this agreement immediately, followin which “Nigerians stopped demanding for cement; many project sites were abandoned as developers sat back and waited for the prices to come down.
“So, what has happened is an inter-play of demand and supply with price responding, which is Economics at work”, Collins Okpala, a cement dealer, told the source in Abuja.
In the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory, a 50-kg bag of Dangote cement now sells for between N7,000 and N7,500, while BUA cement sells for between N8,500 and N9,500, down from between N11,000 and N12,000 respectively.
In Lagos, the product has seen significant price drop too. In Ojo area of the state, Sebastin Ovie, a dealer, told our reporter that what has happened is a crash from the January price, attributing the crash to low demand and stronger naira.
“The current price of the product is between N7,000 and N7,500 per 50kg bag, depending on the brand. This is a significant drop from the average of N12,000 which most dealers were selling in February and March”, he said.
A dealer in Agege area of the state who identified himself as Taofik Olateju, told the source that sales are picking up due to the drop in price.
He recalled that Nigerians at a point stopped buying due to the high price of the product at N15,000 per bag.
“I am sure most dealers ran at a loss then because we had mainly old stocks which we wanted to offload quickly”, he said, confirming that the product sells for between N7,500 and N8,000, depending on the brand and the demand for the brand.
Continuing, Olateju noted that “because the naira is now doing well against the dollar, it will be unreasonable for manufacturers to continue to sell the product at the old prices. I also believe that the federal government’s intervention and the threat to license more importers may have worked, leading to the reduction in price”.
In Enugu, the source reports that the product sells for between N7,200 and N7,500 depending on the brand and location.
“This is a city where the price of a 50kg bag went for as high as N12,000 and N13,000 in some cases in February and March”, Samuel Chikwendu said.
He added that the prices of other building materials, especially iron rods, have also dropped considerably which is why, he said, activities are picking up again at construction sites.
The story is slightly different in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where Innocent Okonkwo told the source that low demand was also driving the price drop, adding that a 50kg bag was selling for N9,000 on the average in the state.
Sundry market observers are optimistic of further price reductions, but they remain cautious as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers continue to play critical roles in setting prices for end-users.
They lamented, however, that despite Nigeria’s status as one of the largest producers of cement in Africa, the price of the product continues to rise, particularly in the face of high inflation impacting the building materials market generally.
Okpala in Abuja highlighted the variations arising from direct sourcing from manufacturers versus procurement through dealers, with traders holding old stocks selling products at prices ranging from N8,500, N8,300 to N8,000 per bag.
Lucy Nwachukwu, another dealer in Abuja, said the significance of  procurement volume in determining cement costs, noting that stability in prices has been observed over the past month, with the product retailing for between N7,000 and N7,800 depending on the brand.
In Port Harcourt also, a customer, Daniel Etteobong Effiong, said the price goes between N7500 to N8500, depending on the brand and the location one is buying from.

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