Some members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have demanded some concessions regarding the new minimum wage being proposed by members of the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.
Specifically, a member of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, said they would not disagree with the government if it decides to raise the minimum wage above N100,000.
He said they would rather demand tax holidays or exemption from paying the agreed amount if it is over N100,000, stressing that the amount some members of the private sector could afford is N60,000.
“Obviously, paying more than N100,000 as wages to our workers would collapse small and medium scale businesses. We are okay with N60,000, but we won’t disagree with the government, the labour and other employers from the OPS,” he said.
There were reports earlier on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu, after receiving briefing from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, approved N105,000 as the new minimum wage.
But hours after the report went viral, the Presidency described the news as false, insisting that Edun did not propose N105,000 in the new minimum wage template.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who stated this via his X account wrote, “The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, has not proposed N105,000 minimum wage. The contrary story being disseminated is false.”
