Business
Financial Experts Seek Early Budget Passage …To Sustain Capital Importation
Financial experts have recommended early budget passage, improved business environment and liquidity in the Foreign Exchange Market (Forex) to sustain the flow of capital importation to the economy.
The experts told The Tide source last Friday in Lagos that increase in capital importation to the economy supported the view that foreign investors’ confidence was bolstered on the back of rate convergence and liquidity in the foreign exchange market.
The nation’s Capital Importation report released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on March 2, revealed a 12.2 billion dollars capital inflow in 2017.
The inflow represents an increase of 7,104.4 million dollars or 138.7 per cent, compared with the 5.12 billion dollars figure recorded in 2016.
The report revealed that the capital inflow was divided into three main investment types namely: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and Other Investments.
According to the report, foreign portfolio Investment accounted for 60 per cent capital imports, the single largest share compared to Foreign Direct Investment and Other Investments.
Mr Muda Yusuf, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), told reporters that increased portfolio investment was driven by improved investors’ confidence, performance and growth in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2017.
According to him, S&P Dow Jones Indices ranked NSE as one of the best five capital markets in the world for 2017.
“The NSE closed the year on the positive note as the NSE All-Share Index returned 42.30 per cent year-on-year.
“Market capitalisation grew positively to close at N13.61 trillion compared to N9.25 trillion recorded at the end of 2016,’’ he said.
Yusuf noted that participation of foreign investors in the nation’s equities market gained momentum following the introduction of Investors’ and Exporters’ Foreign Exchange window by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in April 2017.
“The foreign exchange window and the various forex interventions by CBN helped to ease scarcity and challenge in the foreign exchange market.
“Government needs to intensify efforts to pass the 2018 Budget and expedite its quick implementation toward bridging the nation’s infrastructure deficit which stands as a disincentive to foreign direct investments,’’ he said.
The LCCI boss urged the Federal Government to evolve policies that would attract more foreign capital into the economy to further boost NSE performance and strengthen economic rebound.
Yusuf recommended that more companies should be attracted to get listed on the NSE to further deepen the market, increase trading activities and improve liquidity.
Ms Peace John, a researcher at Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), told The Tide source that maintaining economic growth as portrayed in the recent GDP report would sustain flow of capital import.
“The investors are coming in already and if we keep having positive data on our economic indicators, that means that recovery process would be consolidated.
“The external factors that have to do with oil price, foreign exchange are stable for now and if the government should do its part with the passage and implementation of budget and effective implementation of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), capital inflow would be sustained,’’ she said.
John noted that further improvements in the ease of doing business, favorable lending rate policy, capital release for projects and tax incentives would attract more investors to different sectors of the economy.
Business
Food Vendors, Others Relocate To New Site At PH Airport
The raging controversy between the Port Harcourt International Airport Management and restaurants/canteen operators and theirallies over relocation has been brought under control, as the operators have commenced relocation to their structures at the new site.
Recall that there had been serious feud over a directive by the Manager of the airport, Mr. Michael Area, for food vendors and their allies to relocate to the new site.
They insisted that the new site was too distant and hence, would negatively affect patronage from customers, with possible loss.
They further also insisted that it wouldcost them much money to put up another structure, given the economic situation in the country, since the airport management did not build any structure for them, apart from providing the empty land they have to also pay for.
The situation had led to flexing of muscles, which made the Airport Manager to order for sealing of all shops, resulting in scarcity of food, as airport users could not find a place to eat, apart from the only Genesis fast food spot available.
As at last Friday, The Tide observed that most of the food vendors had transferred their structures to the new place, and had started doing business there already.
Meanwhile, customers have started settling down at the new location as they were seen patronising shops for foods and drinks, in spite of the distance.
Few of the remaining structures at the old site, The Tide further gathered, will also be removed as quickly as possible, and the owners are making efforts to get funds for the job to be done.
One of them, Mrs Aka Love explained that she was going to relocate to the new place before the end of March.
Currently, business activities at the old site have come to null, as the place which was usually a beehive of food, drinks and relaxation, has completely winded down.
By: Corlins Walter
Business
MOWCA Strengthens Maritime Crime Prevention
Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has stepped up interaction with the United States Government to lift restrictions placed on some member countries allegedly implicated in illicit shipping activities.
Adalikwu, who led a delegation from the MOWCA Secretariat to the US Embassy in Abidjan for a first leg of the strategic consultation aimed at promoting seamless participation of MOWCA countries in international trade within the global maritime space, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to the best ethical and lawful maritime practices.
Addressing the U.S Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, H.E Mrs Jessica Davis Ba, the MOWCA SG stated the organisation’s interest in promoting the International Ship and Port facility Security (ISPS) code which aims at enhancing security of vessels and their ports of call.
He expressed the commitment of MOWCA in promoting environmentally friendly, safe and cost effective shipping without any encumbrance that may limit the economic potential of member countries.
Dr Adalikwu recalled that at the instance of the U.S. Department of State invitation, MOWCA participated in the 2023 Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC) Conference in Larnaca, Cyprus, on February 28–March 1, 2023, and a virtual meeting held on June 6 2023, with Mrs Jennifer Chalmers, Officer in change of Counterproliferation Initiative.
He recalled The U.S. DOS willingness to support MOWCA’s effort for preventive maritime security through the establishment of the Center for Information and Communication (CINFOCOM) with the aim to ensure a maritime situational awareness domain within MOWCA’s member states’ waters.
He added that MOWCA under his watch is committed to training and retraining of maritime practitioners and experts to enhance the human capital capabilities of member states.
The CINFOCOM will help prevent transnational crimes committed at sea like sanctions evasion by North Korea and other state actors, who exploit poor enforcement due diligence by ship open registries to circumvent United Nations and U.S. trade restrictions.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Business
Nigeria’s Public Debt Hits N97.3trn – DMO
The Debt Management Office (DMO) has hinted that Nigeria’s public debt increased by 10.7 per cent from N87.87 trillion in the third quarter of last year, to N97.34 trillion as at December 31, 2023.
DMO, in an update data released last Friday, said the increase in the debt stock was largely due to new domestic borrowing by the Federal Government to part finance the deficit in the 2024 Appropriation Act and disbursements by multilateral and bilateral lenders.
The office noted that the N97.3 trillion public debt comprises of domestic debt of N59.12 trillion and external debt of N38.22 trillion. The sum of $3.5 billion was used to service external debt during the review period.
“Nigeria’s Public Debt Stock as at December 31, 2023 was N97.34trillion or $108.229 billion. This amount comprises the domestic and external debt stocks of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the 36 States Governments, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“There was an increase of N9.43 trillion over the comparative figure for September, 2023, which was largely due to new domestic borrowing by the FGN to part finance the deficit in the 2024 Appropriation Act and disbursements by multilateral and bilateral lenders.
“At N59.12 trillion, total domestic debt accounted for 61 percent of the total public debt stock, while external debt at N38.22 trillion accounted for the balance of 39 percent.
“Consistent with the debt management strategy, Nigeria’s external debt stock was skewed in favour of loans from multilateral (49.77 percent) and bilateral lenders (14.02 percent) or total of 63.79 percent which are mostly concessional and semi-concessional.
“Whilst the DMO continues to employ best practice in public debt management, the recent and on-going efforts of the fiscal authorities to shore up revenue will support debt sustainability”, DMO stated.
By: Corlins Walter
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