Take a fresh look at your lifestyle.

Subsidy is gone, FG insists, tells Nigerians to disregard viral documents

111

Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has vehemently dismissed what it called rumours and speculation that it plans to reinstate fuel subsidies, reaffirming its commitment to the removal of the long-standing petrol subsidy.

There were reports on Wednesday that Mr Tinubu’s administration was considering suspending the payment of import duties and other tariffs on food items, drugs and other basic commodities for six months.

While reacting to the development, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Thursday, urged the public and the media to disregard the documents.

The statement, titled, ‘Leaked documents on fiscal policy proposals not official’, said, “The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to two fiscal policy documents in circulation that are being given wide coverage by the mainstream media and social media platforms.

“One of the documents titled Inflation Reduction and Price Stability (Fiscal Policy Measure etc) Order 2024 is being shared as if it were an executive order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The other is a 65-page draft document with the title “Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP), which contains suggestions on how to improve the Nigerian economy. President Tinubu received a copy of the draft on Tuesday.

“We urge the public and the media to disregard the two documents and cease further discussions on them. None is an approved official document of the Federal Government of Nigeria. They are all policy proposals that are still subject to reviews at the highest level of government. Indeed, one has ‘draft’ clearly written on it.”

Onanuga quoted the Coordinating Minister of the Economy as saying, “It is important to understand that policymaking is an iterative process involving multiple drafts and discussions before any document is finalised.

“We assure the public that the official position on the documents will be made available after comprehensive reviews and approvals are completed.

“The government wants to restate that its position on fuel subsidy has not changed from what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared on 29 May 2023. The fuel subsidy regime has ended. There is no N5.4 trillion being provisioned for it in 2024, as being widely speculated and discussed.”

“As previously stated by government officials, including myself, President Tinubu announced the end of the fuel subsidy program last year, and this policy remains firmly in place.

“The Federal Government is committed to mitigating the effects of this removal and easing the cost of living pressures on Nigerians.

“Our strategy focuses on addressing key factors such as food inflation, which is significantly impacted by transport costs. With the implementation of our CNG initiative, which aims to displace high PMS and AGO costs, we expect to further reduce these costs.

“Our commitment to ending unproductive subsidies is steadfast, as is our dedication to supporting our most vulnerable populations”.

Recall that in December, the government said contrary to the claim by the World Bank that the government is still paying subsidy on petrol, the era of petrol subsidy is “gone for good”.

 

Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.