Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

MAN renews complaints over forex, supports government’s assets stripping

By Benjamin Alade
28 September 2016   |   4:18 am
Weeks after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said foreign exchange allocation to the real sector would be increased to 60 per cent, operators have denied noticeable improvements.
Frank Jacobs, MAN President

Frank Jacobs, MAN President

Weeks after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said foreign exchange allocation to the real sector would be increased to 60 per cent, operators have denied noticeable improvements.

Besides, they have thrown weight behind the Federal Government’s plans to reduce holdings in some national assets as a way of raising fund to fight recession and ensure efficiency in their operations.

A section of the real sector operators under the aegis of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) yesterday, said its members are yet to benefit from the 60 per cent allocation by CBN alleging that there are discordant tunes coming from the apex bank.

Speaking ahead of its ‘Manufacturers Yearly Lecture’, President, MAN, Dr. Frank Jacobs, reiterated that government should reduce some of its shareholding on national assets.

“LNG is a profitable company, government has huge share of 51 per cent which is managed efficiently by the private sector. If government reduces equity from some of these assets, they would function properly. Both foreign and local investors have lost confidence in doing business in the country, if reduction of national assets would bring back investors that would be a laudable initiative.

“We are engaging CBN on the forex allocation, although we have not really benefitted from it but that does not mean that the government is not sensitive to our course,” he said.

According to him, it is going to take a lot to bring the country out of recession and government must now get its acts right and strategic too.

He pointed out that if government can take some of MAN’s recommendations by reducing ownership of companies, undertake building of infrastructure and come out with clear prescriptions on how private sector can drive the economy, the country would profit.

Speaking at the event, he said, the association has scheduled to hold its 2016 Manufacturer’s Yearly Lecture tomorrow in Abuja.

The lecture is an advocacy platform designed for experts and chief executives of manufacturing concerns in Nigeria to review the performance of the sector and appraise the state of the economy in the past year.

As parts of deliverables of the lecture, he noted that the association will provide insight on manufacturers’ expectation for 2017, present vivid picture of the current realities of operating business concerns and suggest policy direction out of the current recession experienced by the country.

With the theme: ‘Diversifying the Nigerian Economy: The role of Government in manufacturing’, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the lecture open with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. The President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is also expected to deliver a speech as the guest speaker.

“The truth is, our economy is currently challenged and MAN believes that with concerted efforts from all stakeholders, we shall overcome the current economic challenges. We are hopeful that Government would continue to adopt home grown policies and strategies that have the capacity to offer required economic fillip to the manufacturing sector,” he said.

2 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    it is time the federal government comes out immediately and say that Nigeria gas company is not for sale at all. That is the best government assets and it shouldn’t be in the conversation of any sale. you sale your assets if you can use the proceeds to generate more revenue. The gas company is generating huge revenue and can even do more if properly invested in.

  • Author’s gravatar

    All those calling for the sale of our national assets were the same people who adviced that naira should be devalued.
    Now we know why they were so interested in the devaluation of naira so that they will buy up our national assets at cheap prize.
    This was exactly what the Oligarchs did to the assets of the old soviet union before the coming of Vladmir Putin.
    Nigeria’s own Vladmir Putin will be here shortly and all these thiefs who are using govt money to buy up govt assets will be sent to the prisons like the Russian Oligarchs.