I wonder why they avoided the heavyweight road projects and wastages. Seems someone is fully aware of the superfluity such roads and exercises is to a struggling and indebted third world country.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, says the savings from fuel and foreign exchange subsidies have largely gone into debt servicing, increased workers’ wages, student loans, and other major government obligations.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the 7th African Emerging Markets Forum, organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Oyedele acknowledged the growing public concerns over the fate of the subsidy savings, describing the question as legitimate and promising greater transparency in the coming days.
He said the combined impact of the subsidy on fuel and foreign exchange was about 5 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, but that the savings were not saved. According to him, “saving money was not the primary objective. It was eliminating the distortion and the corruption in the system, which is more fundamental.
“But where has the money gone to? In a few days, you will see the detailed analysis because we believe that we owe a duty to explain what we do to the Nigerian people. That’s what transparency looks like.”
The minister explained that though the reforms generated fiscal savings, the government immediately faced higher financial obligations arising from the reforms themselves, including debt servicing costs and increased public sector wages.
Before the reforms, he said, Nigeria financed part of its expenditure by printing money, which fuelled inflation but reduced immediate borrowing needs. However, he explained that part of the subsidy removal savings was used to service debts, including money printed before the reforms.
“Many Nigerians will conclude that the reforms are not working for them. Some would even say it’s a bad reform,” the minister stated. “What we do not normally compare is what would have been if the reforms were not carried out.
“Before the reforms, we were printing money to spend, the interest rates were about eight per cent, and the minimum wage was N30,000. If you just think about those three, those are big numbers.
“If you stop printing, the spending doesn’t disappear. You need to finance the money you were printing before. That was part of where the savings went.”
Oyedele further explained that the reforms triggered higher inflation, prompting interest rates to rise, increasing the government’s debt servicing costs. Consequently, “instead of paying eight per cent on our debts, we were paying as high as 24 per cent.
“When you need to service debts, you do not debate whether you need to pay. You cannot negotiate it. You pay, and you pay on time.”
According to the minister, the government also committed substantial resources to implementing the new national minimum wage and financing higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with over 1.5 million students now receiving funding for both tuition and monthly stipends, thereby allowing parents to redirect money previously set aside for school fees to other essential household needs.
He also noted that “minimum wage went up from N30,000 to N70,000. That’s almost double the wage bill of the government.
In “a million households, the parents no longer have to save, borrow, and be stressed just to pay the tuition. Now they can deploy those resources into their small businesses and take care of other important basic needs.”
Nevertheless, the minister said the government would soon provide Nigerians a detailed account of both the savings realised from the reforms and how the resources have been allocated.
The greatest theft is identity theft. The whole northern tribe were sandwiched into Hausa after conquest and have therefore been robbed of their identity. They are all enjoying one Nigeria though.
God chose them but also gave the others the options to be intergrated into the superior isreali family through spiritual works. They say jesus has not cone but are just supressing their own convictions and that of their forefathers.
yarimo: so telling you the truth doesn't make sense? How old are you again?
i can see cleary you are in sync with the evil spirits. It 10% they have to power gen from, support fatherless n motherless from, and pay workers that will do what the remaining 90% couldnt achieve in the hands of the voluntary tithers. My kidney will outperform your brain anyday anytime.
Sheuns: The way this man talks as well as those he surrounds himself with are just the same.
They are so out of touch with reality.
Speak shamelessly and inhumanely.
...one of his mentally unbalanced ministers of politics was even attacking Obi. They should spend 99% of the uselesss time counseling the disconnected old crook.
Dricker: bro tinubu ran for office to answer president and loot the treasury making his goons rich..he will rather unalive than see people's lives improved..tinubu strategy is keep the poor and hungry so whenever he gives them peanut they will say he is working
No kingdom divided can stand. Na bro Jay talk am. This is what happens when people operating in sync with demons assume power. They bring back pre-Noah torments upon the people. So it is the 10% the people pay as tithe that will suddenly do what the remaining 90% couldnt - feed them. In principle, Yekini is saying the pastors should perform the miracle of bread and fish every gathering. The beneficiaries of the biblical bread/fish multiplication were guest to Jesus. We did not all negotiate for Nigeria but the useless govt of the day is telling us to meet pastors like they formed one Nigeria or were party to the idiotic union.
Mentally unstable wicked and disconnected old man ruling 200m humans. Churches dont force people to join or stay. It is the govt this old crook heads that controls 99% of the factors influencing and sustaining food production or affordability.
Estello: "I have nothing but positive words for what the Central Bank @cenbank has done ~~~~~ This is the first time that this economy will be growing faster than the population "
~ HRH Muhammad Sanusi, Emir of Kano
Ex CBN Gov gives current CBN governor @DrYemiCardoso and President @officialABAT their 🌹🌹🌹
#KemKem
📌"I have nothing but positive words for what the Central Bank @cenbank has done ~~~~~ This is the first time that this economy will be growing faster than the population "