Business
Nigeria Customs highlights conditions for companies to access zero-duty food import waiver
Nigeria Customs highlights conditions for companies to access zero-duty food import waiver
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday announced the conditions that companies must meet to qualify for the government’s new zero per cent duty and VAT exemption on select food imports.
According to a statement by the Service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, companies wishing to import husked brown rice, grain sorghum, millet, maize, wheat, and beans at zero duty must be incorporated in Nigeria, operational for at least five years, and have a proven track record of filing annual returns, financial statements, and fulfilling tax obligations.
“To participate in the zero-duty importation of basic food items, a company must be incorporated in Nigeria and have been operational for at least five years. It must have filed annual returns and financial statements and paid taxes and statutory payroll obligations for the past five years.
“Companies importing husked brown rice, grain sorghum, or millet need to own a milling plant with a capacity of at least 100 tons per day, operated for at least four years and have enough farmland for cultivation. Those importing maize, wheat, or beans must be agricultural companies with sufficient farmland or feed mills/agro-processing companies with an out-grower network for cultivation,” it said.
The policy, which became effective on 15 July and will run till 31 December, aims to reduce the cost of essential foods and improve food security across the country.
The NCS said the zero-duty initiative is designed to alleviate the high costs of these staple foods, which previously faced import duties ranging from 5 per cent to 30 per cent.
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By eliminating these charges, the government aims to cushion the impact of inflation on household budgets, particularly for low-income families. However, the policy also includes measures to ensure compliance, requiring that at least 75 per cent of imported items be sold through recognised commodities exchanges and that all transactions and storage be documented.
It said the NCS, led by Comptroller General Bashir Adeniyi, has emphasised that while this temporary measure addresses immediate food security challenges, it does not undermine long-term strategies to support local farmers and manufacturers.
It said companies that fail to meet the outlined conditions risk losing their waivers and may be required to pay the applicable VAT, levies, and import duties. Also, any exported items in their original or processed form will be subject to these penalties.
The Federal Ministry of Finance will periodically provide the NCS with lists of approved importers and their quotas to facilitate compliance with the policy.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, recently revealed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has decided to suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of essential food items such as beans, wheat, and husked brown rice.
The country’s food prices have been rising sharply in recent years, a situation that worsened in 2023 when the president removed petrol subsidies and allowed the naira to float.
This economic shift has led to a steep increase in the cost of staple foods, including rice, wheat, and bread, pushing many Nigerians further into poverty and heightening food insecurity amid high inflation.
The persistent surge in prices over the past year has led to the closure of several farms and businesses, with many agricultural producers scaling back their output due to insecurity and unpredictable weather conditions affecting rural areas.
In response, the president declared a state of emergency on food insecurity last year, aiming to combat rising food costs. Despite these efforts, food inflation has continued unabated.
Nigeria Customs highlights conditions for companies to access zero-duty food import waiver
Business
PH refinery: 200 trucks will load petroleum products daily, says Presidency
PH refinery: 200 trucks will load petroleum products daily, says Presidency
No fewer than 200 trucks are set to load petroleum products at the government-owned Port Harcourt Refinery, the presidency has said.
A presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, made this known in a statement through his official X handle on Tuesday.
Newstrends had reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company on Tuesday announced that Port Harcourt Refinery has resumed operations and crude oil processing after years of inactivity.
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Reacting, Dare said, “200 trucks are expected to load products daily from the refinery, Renewing the Hopes of Nigeria.”
He added that “the Port Harcourt refinery has two wings.
“The Old Refinery comes on stream today with an installed production capacity of 60, 000 barrels per day of crude oil.”
PH refinery: 200 trucks will load petroleum products daily, says Presidency
Business
Breaking: CBN increases interest rate to 27.50%
Breaking: CBN increases interest rate to 27.50%
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has raised the lending interest to 27.50 per cent from 27.25 per cent.
This latest increase in the Monetary Policy Rate came after a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday and concluded Tuesday.
The Monetary Policy Rate measures the benchmark interest rate.
The CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, announced this in Abuja on Tuesday after the MPC meeting, last for the year, held at the apex bank’s headquarters.
He said the MPC voted unanimously to raise the MPR by 25 basis points from 27.25% to 27.50%; and retain the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 50% for Deposit Money Banks and 16% for Merchant Banks.
The CBN governor also said the MPC retained the Liquidity Ratio (LR) at 30% and Asymmetric Corridor at +500/-100 basis points around the MPR.
Business
Nigeria’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% in Q2 – NBS
Nigeria’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% in Q2 – NBS
Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at 4.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said in its latest report.
The report released on Monday said the unemployment rate decreased compared to the 5.3 per cent recorded in the Q1 of 2024.
The NBS defined the unemployment rate as the share of the labour force (the combination of unemployed and employed people) who are not employed but actively searching and are available for work.
“The unemployment rate for Q2 2024 was 4.3%, showing an increase of 0.1 percentage point compared to the same period last year,” the report stated.
“The unemployment rate among males was 3.4% and 5.1% among females.
“By place of residence, the unemployment rate was 5.2% in urban areas and 2.8% in rural areas. Youth unemployment rate was 6.5% in Q2 2024, showing a decrease from 8.4% in Q1 2024.”
Report also said the unemployment rate among persons with post-secondary education was 4.8 per cent; 8.5 per cent among those with upper secondary education, 5.8 per cent for those with lower secondary education, and 2.8 per cent among those with primary education in Q2 2024.
Employment rate – 76%
The report showed that the employment-to-population ratio, which measures the number of employed workers against the total working-age population, increased to 76.1 per cent in Q2 2024.
“In Q2 2024, 76.1% of Nigeria’s working-age population was employed, up from 73.1% in Q1 2024,” the report stated.
Self-employment – 85.6%
The report further showed that Nigeria’s labour market saw a notable shift as the proportion of self-employed individuals increased in Q2 2024.
It stated, “The proportion of persons in self-employment in Q2 2024 was 85.6%.”
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