Customs Says Nigeria’s Subsidised Petrol Smuggled As Far As Mali

Posted by Nwa Diokpa African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, August 17th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria Customs Service has stated that Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, is being smuggled out of Nigeria in large quantities after subsidy by the Federal Government.

According to the agency, the petroleum product is being diverted to as far as Mali.

The Controller-General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali, stated that the Department of Petroleum Resources had approved the establishment of filling stations along the land borders, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation keeps supplying the commodity to the stations against the advice of the border controlling agency.

Ali disclosed that the situation was responsible for the increasing volume of fuel being released by the NNPC as daily consumption.

The Customs boss stated this in Abuja on Monday during the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Finance on the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.

Chairman of the committee, James Faleke, had earlier asked the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, why the Federal Government has benchmarked crude oil per barrel at $57 for the 2022 budget when the global market prices are now about $70.

Ahmed, however, disclosed that the government was using the differentials to pay subsidy on petrol, which is referred to as under-recovery.

The minister had said, “The crude oil price that we propose in the budget is a result of consultations with the NNPC and a review of the research that is done by EIA as well as the World Bank and other institutions. And we normally just take a middle road. We don’t look at the price today; we look at the projections for the price, for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“Also, fortunately for us, right now, the increase in the price of crude oil should have resulted in more revenue to the federation. But because we are suffering a significant level of under-recovery as a result of fuel subsidies, the impact is not seen.”

However, Ali stated that apart from spending on subsidies, the subsidised fuel was being smuggled to other West African countries where the pump prices were higher.

The Customs boss said, “The issue of smuggling of fuel from Nigeria to the neighbouring countries is simply because of price differential. The prices outside our shores and borders are higher, and that is what attracts people to move this product outside. And this product is not only limited to Benin, Niger or Chad, it goes up to Mali.”