Group slams FG’s proposed 5% surcharge on petrol products

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) has described the Federal Government’s proposed five percent surcharge on petrol and diesel as anti-people and economically insensitive.

In a statement on Friday, FENRAD’s Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to rescind the decision, warning that it would worsen the hardship already caused by the removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023.
“This move is not only ill-timed but also economically destabilizing and unjustifiably harsh on already burdened citizens,” Nwafor said. “It will further exacerbate the hardship faced by millions, particularly low-income earners, workers, and vulnerable populations.”

FENRAD argued that the policy was “tone-deaf” and disconnected from the current socio-economic realities, with inflation at record highs, food prices soaring, transport costs rising, and small businesses struggling with high energy costs.

The group presented a three-point argument against the surcharge, saying it was punitive, threatened economic stability by raising operational costs for SMEs, and undermined public trust in government reforms.

Instead of imposing new levies, FENRAD urged the government to focus on pro-poor policies, including investments in renewable energy, public transportation, and job creation, as well as providing adequate palliatives to cushion the impact of subsidy removal.

It also called on the National Assembly, labour unions, and civil society groups to resist the proposed surcharge “in the interest of social justice and economic stability.”
“Nigeria cannot afford another policy that punishes its most vulnerable,” the group said. “We demand a people-centred approach to governance—one that prioritizes welfare over revenue collection at all costs.”

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