The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the Federal Government’s policy on suspension of customs duty on imported food items has recorded successive reductions in the inflation rates.
Customs’ Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, said this on Friday at the Iftar (breaking of fasting) Meal Service Programme, organised by Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme aims to serve meals to both fasting and non-fasting Nigerians during this year’s holy month of Ramadan.
Adeniyi recalled that few years ago, President Bola Tinubu introduced a policy aimed at curbing inflation, which was largely driven by the high cost of fuel and food.
‘Among policies that the President directed us to implement at that time was the suspension of customs duty on imported food items for a period of six months.
‘It was a policy that I was really excited to implement. And in the implementation of this policy, alongside other policies of government, we were able to tame inflation that year.
‘Two quarters after that, we were able to record successive reduction in the inflation rates. And that was why our economy did not get into recession’, he said.
The customs boss encouraged members of the food basket committee, including women who have been cooking to redouble their efforts to sustain the project.
‘We know how critical food is, either in breaking of a fast or in starting it. What we are doing today and what this project has been doing is to provide food for Nigerians and others who are fasting.
‘From my experience, we have seen that there are so many non-Muslims who are also beneficiaries of this’, he said.
Also speaking, Alhaji Uba Ahmadu, the Minister of State for Regional Development, called on well meaning Nigerians to support the food bank programme.
Ahmadu said, ‘We should continue to make contributions, taking into account that the ones we do while we are alive are the ones that will sustain us when we are gone.
‘It is on this note that I want to plead that we all contribute towards the Al-Habibiyah food bank project to help Al-Habibiyah solve logistic problems, as well as the problems of Nigeria’.
The Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Malam Fuad Adeyemi spoke on the importance of food to tackle the problem of hunger and poverty in the country.
Adeyemi said, ‘I always tell people that what God loves most, that I know in the Quran, is giving food.
‘If you can not fast during Ramadan, they will tell you to go and feed. So, even if you have committed an offence, you need to feed 60 people’.
He thanked donors for their continued support in sustaining the programme over the years.
