Business
David Frost issues veiled threat to ditch Northern Ireland protocol
David Frost issues veiled threat to ditch Northern Ireland protocol
The UK government has issued a veiled threat to ditch the Northern Ireland protocol sooner rather than later, warning it “cannot wait for ever” for the EU to respond to its demands to rewrite the Brexit arrangement.
The Brexit minister, David Frost, said he had been waiting since July for a formal request for substantial changes to the protocol, which the UK has largely suspended over objections to checks on a range of goods including sausages.
In a speech to the Conservative party conference declaring the “long bad dream of EU membership” over, Lord Frost warned the EU that it must come back with “ambitious” proposals to renegotiate the protocol, which was drawn up to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
But setting the scene for an imminent triggering of article 16, allowing the UK to unilaterally suspend some of the current arrangements, if the EU does not respond, he told a half-full hall in Manchester, he was not confident the EU would meet his demands.
“From what I hear I worry that we will not get one [a response] which enables the significant change we need,” he said.
“We cannot wait for ever. Without an agreed solution soon, we will need to act, using the article 16 safeguard mechanism, to address the impact the protocol is having on Northern Ireland.
“That may in the end be the only way to protect our country – our people, our trade, our territorial integrity, the peace process, and the benefits of this great UK, of which we are all part,” he said.
He attacked what he described as the EU’s “heavy-handed actions”, which he said had led to the protocol unravelling sooner than he had anticipated.
“Cross-community political support for the protocol has collapsed,” he said.
His claims came days after business representatives in Northern Ireland warned that triggering article 16 would have a chilling effect on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and between Northern Ireland and the EU.
The EU’s ambassador to the UK, João Vale de Almeida, who was in the audience, said there was “nothing strange” or unexpected in Frost’s speech, promising a response to the UK’s demands within the coming weeks.
“We are looking forward to the solutions in Northern Ireland. We are ready to be flexible,” said.
He told delegates Boris Johnson knew he was “taking a risk” when he agreed the protocol in the “difficult autumn” of 2019 but the risk was “a worthy one, in the cause of peace and protecting the Belfast/Good Friday agreement”.
But he added: “We worried right from the start that the protocol would not take the strain if not handled sensitively. As it has turned out, we were right.”
Business
Nigeria begins sales of Crude Oil in Naira
Nigeria has officially commenced the sale of crude oil and refined petroleum products in Naira.
This milestone, announced by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, marks a new chapter in the nation’s economic strategy.
Effective from October 1, 2024, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) directive to trade crude oil and petroleum products in Naira was implemented following a key meeting of the Implementation Committee.
The meeting included prominent stakeholders, such as the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), the Special Advisers to the President on Revenue and Energy, executives from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), and top representatives of the Dangote Group. The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC and its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) were also in attendance, underscoring the initiative’s national significance.
The strategic policy, championed by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, is expected to reshape Nigeria’s economy.
By denominating oil sales in Naira, the country aims to bolster economic growth, enhance stability, and promote self-sufficiency.
The move is seen as a crucial step toward reducing dependency on foreign currencies, positioning Nigeria for long-term success amidst the ever-changing dynamics of global markets.
Business
Electricity Tariff hike: Nigeria’s discos collect N887bn as revenue
Revenue of electricity distribution companies in Nigeria increased to N887.86 billion in the first seven months of 2024 amid an electricity tariff hike.
This is according to the analysis of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission data on Discos’ commercial performance for the seven months of 2024.
The data showed that out of N1.14 trillion electricity bill issued by Discos to customers, the companies recorded 79.7 percent collection efficiency which stood at N887.86bn in the period under review.
A breakdown of the bill collection by Discos from January to July 2024 includes N95bn, N97bn, N100.44bn, N142.92bn, N191.65bn, N150.86bn and N162.14bn which amounted to N887.86 billion.
Further analysis showed that during the corresponding period in 2023, the companies issued bills totaling N797.18 billion, while they managed to collect N604.15 billion.
This surge in revenue collection is not unconnected to the hike in electricity tariff in April from N66 per kilowatt-hour to N225.
Recall that amid the call for the electricity tariff hike reversal, it was reviewed downward to 206.68 per kilowatt-hour, but was reviewed upward to N209 per kilowatt-hour thereafter.
Though the electricity tariff hike was introduced for customers getting at least 20 hours of power supply, Nigerians have lamented the burden occasioned by the tariff.
The energy cost pain has been exacerbated as Discos migrate more consumers to Band A feeders.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, however, insisted that Nigeria’s electricity tariff is among the cheapest within African countries.
Business
FG unveils seven CNG conversion centres in Ekiti
The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) has unveiled seven centres where commercial transporters can convert their petrol to CNG-powered vehicles in Ekiti.
The Program Director of P-CNGi, Michael Oluwagbemi who spoke during the official unveiling of the centres and handing over of 15 CNG-powered buses to government in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital at the weekend, urged commercial transporters in the state to visit the centers to convert their vehicle free of charge.
He explained that the CNG initiative is cheaper, more convenient, and safer compared to petrol, noting that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is determined to energize the economy through the initiative which he said would create jobs and enhance sustainable development.
Oluwagbemi disclosed that the administration is targeting one million vehicle conversions to CNG by 2027, saying that no fewer than 125 centres have been opened across the country.
He listed the new centres in Ekiti state to include, Femoyo centres, Beijing Universal Limited, ABJ oil and gas, Bovas Company, and NADDC training center in the state capital.
The program director said that the 15 buses donated would be deployed for inter and intra-state transportation towards achieving about 40 percent reduction in the transportation cost and ultimately reduced hike in food items.
According to him, ” the government of President Bola Tinubu through the presidential CNG initiative is committed to ensuring they(transporters) use this for their vehicles because it is cheaper, cleaner and more importantly it is safer and more reliable.
” This is a compressed natural gas, it is not the same you use in your kitchen to cook. It is lighter and stored in a bulletproof container. It is also the fact it is produced in Nigeria and what the president said is that instead of us to continue to import poverty and export jobs. He said will need to look inward and use what God has given us.
” It is about job creation, it is about reducing the cost of transportation and ensuring economic development by moving away from subsidy payment where we were making the few richer.
” This is a more sensible and reliable path for Nigeria in terms of our energy sector, and that is what the president is doing with this initiative.”
Speaking, the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji commended the federal government for the initiative, adding that the state would support the programme towards ensuring that more vehicle owners embrace the CNG conversion.
The governor who was represented by the commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Professor Mobolaji Aluko explained that the CNG conversion initiative would help in generating employment opportunities and economic development in line with his shared prosperity agenda for the state.
The state chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Joseph Falope and his counterpart in Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria(RTEAN) Sunday Adeola, expressed delight over the initiative, assuring the government that members of their respective unions would take their vehicles for conversion to CNG.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin said the council has trained no fewer than 45 technicians across the state on how to convert petrol vehicles to CNG-powered vehicles.
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