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NASS Assures On Sugar Masterplan Bill

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The Chairman, Senate Committee on Investment,  Senator Nenadi Usman, has expressed optimism that the National Assembly would soon pass the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) bill.

Usman disclosed this in Abuja at a one-day stakeholders’ interactive forum and the unveiling of the NSMP.

The Executive Council had in September approved the NSMP as well as a regime of fiscal and investment incentives to boost sugar production.

Usman said the bill, when passed into law, would ensure the smooth implementation of the new NSMP, stressing that “The bill is to strengthen the implementation of the policy, to give it a legal backing and some push so that people will not just think they can just do anything and get away with it.

He disclosed that “the bill has gone through the first reading, waiting for the second reading which will protect all the stakeholders, especially the consumers and the manufacturers. It is criminal for anyone to be given all the fiscal protection needed just for them to be able to import and keep refining raw sugar at the detriment of having out growers in the farm that should be growing sugarcane,’’.

Usman, who was also a former Minister of Finance, urged sabotours to stay away from the NSMP, adding that it would no longer be business as usual.

In his remarks, Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga,  said with the implementation of the NSMP, 411.7 additional mega watts of electricity would be generated from sugar production by 2020.

According to him, the implementation of the NSMP will also make Nigeria to be among the top ten sugar exporters in the world.

The minister said apart from the country being self sufficient in sugar production which would bring an end to the importation of sugar, the successful implementation of the policy would create about 117 million jobs.

“The implementation of the sugar master plan will lead to the production of 161.1 million litres of ethanol which will save the country about $65.8 million on fuel importation.’’

Aganga noted with concern the over dependence on importation of sugar which, he said, had affected the economy negatively, adding that government had put in place measures to encourage local production.

He said “in order to both stimulate and protect local investment in the sugar sub-sector, a new regime of fiscal tariff has been approved to take effect from January 1, 2013.

“The measures include the approval of high fiscal tariff structure which is deliberately skewed against importation and to prevent dumping of cheap sugar and protect the infant industry.’’

The minister said the tariff would take cognisance of the little value addition by refiners who import and refine sugar.

According to him, the Federal Government has also provided incentives for investors in the sector.

The incentives included zero per cent on machinery and spare parts for local sugar manufacturing industries, five years tax holiday for ‘sugarcane to sugar’ value-chains and investors in local sugar manufacturing industries.

The incentive included an outright ban on the importation of refined sugar in retail packs among others.

Aganga said the incentives would also lead to 30 per cent tax credit on the cost of provision of critical infrastructure by sugarcane to sugar project investors.

The minister urged the stakeholders to ensure that their deliberations complemented government’s efforts in stabilising the sugar sector.

The Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Dr Lateef Busari, who presented the NSMP to the stakeholders, said its implementation was a golden opportunity to boost the country’s economy.

“The roadmap is a ten-year plan that intends to see Nigeria from producing the two per cent sugar consumption to self sufficiency and to have some excess.

“The roadmap should be able to produce 1.79 metric tonnes of sugar over the next ten years with some other collateral advantages embedded in it.

“The NSMP will provide lots of jobs apart from reducing the burden of capital flight through the importation of sugar.’’

Chief Kola Jamodu, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said the presentation of the NSMP to stakeholders would enable manufacturers to have a better understanding of how to implement it successfully.

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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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