Manufacturers urges Nigerian government to review levies on imported electricity meters

The Electricity Meter Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (EMMAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to review its levies on imported electricity meters to promote full local content in the production of pre-paid meters.

The appeal is coming on the heels of President Muhamadu Buhari’s approval of one year deferment of the 35 percent import adjustment tax (levy) imposed on fully built unit (FBU) electricity meters HS Code 9028.30.00.00 under the 2019 fiscal policy measures for the implementation of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) common external tariff (CET) 2017 – 2022.

EMMAN believes the approval is an incentive for mass importation of pre-paid meters as against upscaling of local production.

It noted that it takes an average of three months to set up Semi Knock Down (SKD)/Complete Knock Down (CKD) factory, while advising that importers should be encouraged to set up factories so as to create a value chain that would provide employment opportunities to Nigerians.

Speaking as a member of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in the downstream of the power sector, Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman of Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Limited (MEMMCOL), said the removal is an indication that the government is more disposed to favour importation to the detriment of local production.

He said, “The implication of this is that over 600million US dollars would be exported to China to import the approved 3million meters. This means we would further be developing another country’s economy and continue to increase unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment in our country.

“We are bold to emphatically say that we at MEMMCOL, have the local capability to bridge the metering gap if the right policy is put in place.

“This can be by way of financial intervention by the government whereby certain agreed percentage of the cost of meter supply would be advanced to us like the importers do with the Chinese and upon completion of installation balance payment would be made to us. We do not even mind to furnish a bank guarantee as our own commitment in such deal.”

Also speaking on the issue, Mr Kunle Olubiyo, President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, also said that there is an urgent need for the Federal Government of to put in place a strict regime of sanctions against off-takers who have deliberately refused to accept indigenous technology and made in Nigeria pre-paid meters.

According to him, metering devices in the electricity sector provides the end users, market players, participants and regulatory agencies a spectrum of energy, accountability, efficient conservation and probity.

“As important as the vexed issue of metering is, there are other variables and extraneous factors that if not eradicated or boldly addressed once and for all, Nigerian electricity market shall remain an elusive growth and a vicious circle of stagnation.

“As a matter of fact, what we need now is a review downward of the presently discriminatory pricing of gas pricing methodology and disparity in the gas pricing business model with different pricing options for different Off-takers.

“Electricity consumers are increasingly being made to pay for fixed cost, padded cost, over bloated indexes of hyper-inflated cost of production of each Unit of electricity measured in kilowatt hour etc,” Olubiyo added.

Source: Today.ng

Senator wants Nigerian government to give priority to mental health

The senator representing Sokoto East senatorial district Ibrahim Gobir on Tuesday expressed the need to give attention to people with mental challenges.

He stated this at Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) Kware, Sokoto state when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of the hospital.

The senator called on government to give attention to psychiatric facilities in order to ensure desirable impacts in the administration of mental health across the country.

The lawmaker expressed satisfaction with the state of facilities and good managerial leadership of Dr Shehu Sale at FNPH, Kware in compliance with modern standards.

”I am delighted with the level of development so far recorded in the hospital under the leadership of able Board Chairman Dr. Iheanyi Nwachuku, and Medical Director, Dr Shehu Sale.

”I am overwhelmed by the state-of-the-art equipment, manpower and infrastructure in the hospital.

” This has demonstrated Dr Sale’s commitment to the development of the hospital and the speciality which will surely translate to enhanced productivity and efficient services to Nigerian populace as well as overall development of mental health,” Gobir stated.

Kware Hospital has good hands, modern tools and facilities, besides being the mist most affordable in the country.

Gobir said National Assembly would support the hospital by facilitating more government attention to sustain the laudable initiatives and routine activities.

Responding, Dr Sale commended Gobir for the visit which, he said, had demonstrated his concern and urged him to use his position in bring more development to the hospital.

The Medical Director said Sen. Aliyu Wamakko and house member Ahmad Kalambaina had facilitated infrastructural projects in FNPH Kware through their constituency projects allocation, which greatly enhanced the hospital’s face-lift.

”FNPH Kware is fully accredited with Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and met the requirements of speciality training of medical doctors across the country beside, running School of Post Basic Nursing in Psychiatric,” Dr Sale said.

Sale lauded the federal government for supporting the hospital and appealed for release of appropriated funds to the hospital.

The medical director called on people to access the facility and cautioned them against seeking alternative therapy and patronizing unprofessional healers adding that accessing mental health at early stage helps to solve the perceived mental challenges.

He decried the fact that mental health had not been given adequate attention globally, compared to other areas such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

Dr Sale along with other directors went round with visiting Senator to inspect hospital wards and other departments.

Source: Today.ng

Nigerian government approves local production of bitumen

The Federal Government has approved local production of bitumen and other construction materials that are being imported currently for construction of roads across the country.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), which gave the approvals sequel to a memorandum presented to it by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, also directed the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Mines and Steel to develop strategies to enhance, stimulate and encourage local production.

The memo, which originated from an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had made inquiry about the sources of the major components in Road Construction and the possibility of producing them locally, will boost job creation and preserve foreign exchange.

In the Policy Memorandum titled “Approval For The Local Production Of Bitumen And Other Construction Materials In Nigeria”, Fashola, who drew the attention of Council to the fact that bitumen and other major road construction materials were currently being imported, submitted that when produced locally bitumen was expected to be sold at about N125, 000 per metric tonne, which, according to him, is 48. 8 percent of the cost of the imported one which stands at N285, 000.

According to him, in terms of job creation, producing bitumen locally would, aside reducing the cost of road construction significantly and other benefits earlier mentioned, would also generate no less than 30, 000 jobs for the unemployed in the country.

1. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo virtually presides over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja.

2. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo virtually presides over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja.

3. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo virtually presides over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja.

4. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo virtually presides over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja.

The Minister informed the Council that the Policy Memo which, was meant to stimulate local production of bitumen as a component of road construction, was an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the President has accordingly challenged the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company to key into the policy by collaborating with related agencies of government to realize the goal.

Noting that, in buying bitumen at such reduced price, the nation would be saving 56.2 percent of the cost of importation, the Minister also argued that aside boosting the nation’s construction capacity, the local manufacture would also create thousands of jobs for Nigerians.

He described the production as “a low grade crude oil which is either extracted from the ground or gotten as a by-product of refined crude oil”, saying it has an estimated 38 billion barrels of reserve and extra heavy oils that have remained untapped for years across the country but especially in Ondo, Lagos and Edo States.

Also drawing the attention of Council to the fact that the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) is the only refinery in the country that has the capacity to produce bitumen deposits, Fashola pointed out that with current installed capacity of 1, 796 metric tonnes per day, well above the present annual local consumption which, according to him, stands at 500, 000 metric tonnes, the company could produce bitumen to satisfy the nation’s requirement and even for export, adding, however, that to achieve that the company has to function at full capacity.

Some of the advantages derivable from the local production of bitumen and other construction materials, the Minister said, also include the diversification of the nation’s economy, improvement in technological growth, establishment of contracts vital for international cooperation in the new expanding technology and socio-economic impact on the areas of operation, among others.

According to him, local production would also help to maintain quality control on production through the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and related Consumer Protection Agencies to ensure that the right quality of bitumen is produced for use by the construction companies while also ensuring further diversification of the nation’s economy.