The Federal Government has commenced discussions with representatives of the organized labour on how to increase the freight rate of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) – petrol from N7.51 per litre to N9.11.
It was gathered that this increment may lead to about 21.30 percent increase in freight that will be set by Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).
The Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation (Management) Board (PEF), Alhaji Ahmed Bobboi, made known on Thursday while speaking at the 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) held in Niger State.
He also explained that the Federal Government was expecting the labour unions to revert to it on the agreement it had taken from the joint committee set by the government on the hike in the price of petrol and electricity.
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Also speaking, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari, said once the deliberations by labour unions have been concluded, the Federal Government will decide the effective date in line with the pricing template.
Kyari who was represented by the corporation’s Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya, said, “We will continue to make payment to PEF for deductions of dues due to you so that PEF will continue to pay your members as at when due.
The NARTO National President, Alhaji Yusuf Othman, urged the government to implement the new N9.11 freight rate to enable the transport owners improve their services and increase the wages of their workers, including the truck drivers.
“I believe if that freight cost is reviewed, we are going to assent to their clamour and things will be fine by the grace of God.”
Othman added said for every truck loaded, about 20 people derive their livelihood including other dependants.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Development Finance Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Babatunde Zaccheus, has assured NARTO of its involvement in transporting outputs.
“For the dry season farming this year, CBN is going to be funding quite a lot of players, and NARTO is going to play a key role both in the logistic movement of the inputs and also the outputs that have been cultivated this numerous time,” he said.
