Paschal Emeka, Abuja/November 16, 2022.
The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed has disclosed the readiness of the Federal Government to end petroleum subsidy by June 2023.
Ahmed made the revelation in Abuja during a press conference to mark the end of the 28th National Economic Summit.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Nigeria spent N2. 565 trillion on fuel subsidies between January and August 2022.
Recall that in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, the Federal Government proposed to spend N3.3 trillion on fuel subsidy between January and June 2023.
Ahmed informed that the removal of fuel subsidy is part of the FG’s medium-term plan in the budget.
She, however, said that the challenge was how to go about removing the subsidy.
“First, we have to engage. We had already engaged with the states and the public before it was approved as part of the medium-term plan.
“We have to do it by systematically informing the citizens about the size and the quantum of the fuel subsidy.
“We also have to educate them about the opportunity cost of what we are unable to do because of the fuel subsidy,” she said.
According to the Minister, the fuel subsidy, in addition to the budget deficit, is putting enormous pressure on the “fiscals”.
“It is not money that we have; it is money that we have to borrow to maintain the fuel subsidy.
“Some countries introduced subsidy during COVID-19, and because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they are using their money to fund such subsidy.
“In our case, we are borrowing to pay the subsidy; that is double jeopardy. It is something that has to stop.
“We are glad that the majority of people in decision-making positions, including the political parties, have agreed that subsidy is not sustainable.
“The plan is, by June 2023, we must have completely exited subsidy, and it has to be a gradual process,” she said.