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Review Direction Of Debts, Experts Tell FG

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Economic experts have called on the Federal Government to review the direction of the country’s debts, in order to spur productivity and economic growth.
The experts expressed their views at a forum on “Nigeria’s Debt Sustainability: Issues and Way forward’’ organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company, Mr Bismark Rewane said the country’s debt profile would not be a concern if its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was growing at about 8 to 10 per cent.
He said existing data showed that the country’s debt was growing at a faster rate than GDP, growing at a time that productivity level had declined resulting to less prosperity for the citizens.
The economist said borrowing to spend and borrowing to invest were two different things, and that funding fiscal debt amounted to the government borrowing to spend.
According to him, Nigeria floated its first Eurobond of 1 billion dollars in 1978, and used it to complete 25 sector specific projects, amongst which was Apapa ports, Inner Marina road and aircraft purchase.
“Tell me what roads would be completed or refinery that would be functional by the time the various bonds floated by government matures; lending should be sector specific and impactful,” he said.
He stressed that government should reset its debt profile, adding that the country was moving from debt problem to debt crisis and if left unchecked, it would result in a debt trap.
He added that elongated debt could translate to intergenerational debt.
“The solution is to increase the injection at the investment level, when you do that, it grows employment and to grow investment means that you increase the level of confidence of domestic and foreign investors.
“Also government’s policies should be well aligned, create equitable distribution of wealth and equal opportunities for citizens, strengthen tax institutions to increase revenue collections and reduce leakages,” he said.
In the same vein, , Chief Economist, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), Mr Andrew Nevin said the country had declined in per capita GDP since 2015 to 2017.
He said this was likely to decline in 2019 adding that the IMF also predicted a decline in 2020 to 2022.
“This indicates that we are getting poorer each year,” Nevin said.
He said government should eliminate fuel subsidy and dual foreign exchange rate, improve on the country’s ease of doing business, and also tap into the potential of the real estate sector.
Mr Ayo Salami, Partner, KPMG Nigeria, said there had been consistent shortfall in government’s projected revenue in the last few years, and that the country’s debt would surpass its revenue in the next five years, if the trend was left unchecked.
He urged the Federal Government to review some of its abandoned and ongoing projects.
He said the Ajaokuta Steel plant and the refineries were not generating revenue, but that the government kept pumping funds into them annually.
Salami, therefore, called for a review in cost of governance, block leakages in Customs revenues and check inefficiencies at the ports, which were contributing to cost of production and affecting economic growth.
Earlier, , President of LCCI Mr Babatunde Ruwase said the chamber was concerned about the rapidly growing public debt and its implications for the country‘s fiscal sustainability.
“The Debt Management Office (DMO) put the nation’s total debt stock (Federal, FCT and States) at N22.38 trillion (73.21 billion dollars) as at June 30.
“Debt service to revenue ratio which currently stands at over 40 per cent is on the high side, with implications on the country’s capacity to deliver infrastructure investments. Our revenue can barely cover our recurrent expenditure.
“Many state governments are still grappling with huge debt service burden which is impeding deliverables on vital developmental projects. Many other states depend largely on Federal Government grants and allocations to survive,” he said.
Ruwase said it was imperative for government to set a debt management framework that aligns with its economic growth drive, revenue profile and “ability to pay” realities.
Meanwhile, the Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha, said its current strategy was to reduce the interest expense on government’s debt.
She said DMO hoped to achieve a debt mix of 60 per cent and 40 per cent for domestic and external debt respectively.
Oniha represented by, Director, Policy Strategy and Risk Management, Mr Joe Ugoala said DMO also planned to increase the long-term portion of the domestic debt to 75 per cent.
She said debt to GDP in Nigeria at 20 per cent was one of the lowest figures in the world.
The director general added that it was lower than the limit of 40 per cent and showed that the economy had huge fiscal sustainability space if revenue could grow faster than its current level.

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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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