The House of Representatives Committee on Power has proposed a special levy to discourage the importation of finished goods into the country and promote local production.
The committee’s chairman and member representing the Eka North East/Eka South federal constituency of Delta State, Victor Nwokolo, disclosed this during a facility tour of Metering Solutions and Manufacturing Services in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Monday.
The lawmaker, who emphasised the need to boost local production to conserve foreign exchange, lamented that Nigeria had become a dumping ground due to the excessive importation of finished goods.
‘There are levies which people pay when bringing cars into the country. When you import cars, you pay special levies. We will explore ways to ensure those bringing in finished goods also pay special levies to the government because this is the only way we can discourage them from flooding the country with imported products. The influx of finished goods has turned Nigeria into a dumping ground,’ Nwokolo said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, for their efforts in addressing the nation’s power sector challenges.
Nwokolo, who is not a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that Tinubu was committed to improving the lives of Nigerians, particularly in the power sector.
‘Whether we like it or not, President Bola Tinubu’s government is determined to improve the lives of Nigerians. I can confidently say he is paying close attention to the power sector. As for the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, his performance speaks for itself. Whether we like it or not, we must acknowledge that he and President Tinubu have tackled the root causes of Nigeria’s power sector problems,’ he said.
He added that the sector had previously struggled to attract investment, as banks were reluctant to provide loans due to poor revenue inflow. However, he noted that banks were now approaching electricity distribution companies (Discos) with loan offers.
Earlier, during a presentation to the committee on behalf of the company’s management, the Managing Director of Metering Solutions, Tolulope Ogunkolade, lamented that the federal government had yet to fully utilise the company’s production capacity despite significant investment.
He expressed regret that contracts for the supply of 1.3 million metres had been awarded to Chinese firms at the expense of indigenous manufacturers.
