Border closure: FG lists gains, says import revenue rose by 15% - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Federal Government has listed gains of its current border closure to include higher import revenue, lower domestic fuel consumption and increased rice production by local farmers among the gains of the closure of the country's land borders in four geo-political zones of the country, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed these gains when he visited the Seme Border on Monday, along with Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning Clement Agba, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service Muhammed Babandede.

He said since the closure, the monthly import revenue has increased by 15 per cent, instead of dropping as expected in many quarters, while the local consumption of fuel has dropped by 30 per cent, apparently due to reduced smuggling of the products to neighbouring countries.

Alhaji Mohammed also said the closure has so far curbed the smuggling of foreign rice into the country, in addition to other prohibited items.

''There has been an enhanced production and milling of Nigerian rice. Patronage of Nigerian rice has also increased and farmers are expanding their farms as well as engaging more hands,'' he said.

The Minister put the value of items seized since the closure at over N3,500,000,000, listing such items as including 38,743 of 50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice, 514 vehicles, 1,012 drums filled with PMS, 5,400 Jerrycans of vegetable oil, 346 motorcycles, 10,553 Jerrycans of PMS and 136 bags of NPK fertilizer used for making explosives.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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