The Presidency, on Sunday, said that it has neither banned nor restricted importation of food items into the country, Igbere TV reports.
This was in reaction to the controversy an order by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had generated in the media.
Igbere TV reports that President Buhari had directed the CBN to stop providing foreign exchange for importation of food items into the country.
But reacting in a statement made available to Igbere TV, the Presidency said such directive does not amount to an outright restriction on the importation of food items.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu stressed that any importers of food items that wished to source their FOREX from non-government financial institutions were free to do so.
The Presidential Spokesman was replying to a report in FINANCIAL TIMES Newspaper, published with the title, “Muhammadu Buhari sparks dismay over policy shift on food imports”, published on 15th August 2019.
Full Statement,
“Your article “Muhammadu Buhari sparks dismay over policy shift on food imports” (15 August) suggests the Nigerian Government is restricting the import of agricultural products into the country.
“This is simply incorrect. To be absolutely clear, there is no ban – or restriction – on the importation of food items whatsoever.
“President Buhari has consistently worked towards strengthening Nigeria’s own industrial and agricultural base. A recent decision sees the Central Bank maintain its reserves to put to use helping growth of the domestic industry in 41 product sectors rather than provide FOREX for the import of those products from overseas.
“Should importers of these items wish to source their FOREX from non-government financial institutions (and pay customs duty on those imports – increasing tax-take, something the FT has berated Nigeria for not achieving on many occasions) they are freely able to do so.
“Diversification of FOREX provision towards the private sector and away from top-heavy government control, a diversification of Nigeria’s industrial base, and an increase in tax receipts – are all policies one might expect the Financial Times to support.
“Yet for reasons not quite clear, the author and this newspaper seem to believe the president’s administration seeks to control everything – and yet do so via policies that relinquish government control.
“We look forward to the next instalment of Mr. Munshi’s bizarre and puzzling article series.”
