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Naira Scarcity: Small business owners are suffering, Ondo chamber of commerce cries out

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The Ondo State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ONDOCCIMA, has cried out over the sufferings imposed on the people of the state by the new Naira policy.

ONDOCCIMA, in a press statement by its spokesman, Adeboro Onibalusi, on Tuesday, said the government policy has crumbled MSME’s activities in Ondo State, lamenting that access to both old new money notes has become difficult for business operations in the state.

“Money is not accessible to members at banks and Pos accross the state,” the statement read in part.

ONDOCCIMA calls on government to, as a matter of urgency, extend the terminal date of for the use of the old currency to at least 3 more months.

“We urge that government make a gradual move towards e-transaction instead of this abrupt and sudden change which has brought suffering on the common man.

“The new currency should be made a available at over the counter transactions in banks, ATMs and POS.

READ  Osinbajo expresses worry over difficulty in getting new Naira notes

“The old and new currency should be accepted as legal tenders side by side for the next 3 months.”

However, ONDOCCIMA commended the government and the CBN for the beautiful inovation of including tracking numbers on the new notes, which it says will go a long way in curbing kidnapping, terrorism financing and money laundering.

Meanwhile, at the CBN Bankers Committee meeting on Tuesday, the Governor instructed banks as follows:

1. No Bank is authorised to pay out OLD NOTES again via ATMs or in bank branches over the counter

2. No payment of new notes over the counter. Banks are only allowed to release new notes via ATMs

3. Corporates that require cash should only be given the old N100 notes and below. Corporates must not be given the new notes.

4. EFCC/ICPC officials will accompany CBN examiners to inspect bank branches over the next two weeks to assess full Compliance with CBN guidelines above.

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5. Officials of branches that fail to comply or that release cash to Corporates and Politicians will face termination of their contracts and the respective banks will be sanctioned

6. No branch should allow an individual with multiple Debit cards to do multiple transactions on ATMs.

7. All new notes have tracking numbers to trace them back to State, Bank and Bank branches. So notes confiscated at parties and other locations can be traced back to the Bank and applicable branch.

But ONDOCCIMA refers to the CBN’s guidelines as draconian and anti-people. According to it, six of the seven guidelines by the apex bank are designed to kill small businesses and the common man.

“If you go through the guidelines, you’ll realise that they are designed against the common man and small business owners.

“Businesses like POS operators are already going out of business because they cannot access enough cash to run their businesses, it is the same for the people. They can no longer access the cash to run their businesses. The people are getting frustrated by this policy.

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“It is not surprising that poor market women and artisans who were fed up with the sufferings inflicted on them by the CBN policy trooped onto the streets of Akure on Tueday in protest and vowing not to participate in the election. It will be a shame if that happens,” ONDOCCIMA said.

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Court restrains NERC from implementing tariff hike for Band A customers

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A federal high court in Kano has issued an order restraining the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) from implementing the new electricity tariff for Band A consumers.

Ruling on an ex parte motion on Thursday, Abdullahi Liman, presiding judge, made an interim order restraining NERC and KEDCO from going ahead with the impending tariff pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before it.

The order also restrained the defendant from intimidating and threatening to disconnect the applicants’ electricity supply for non-acceptance of the new increased tariff.

 

The suit marked FHC/KN/CS/144/2024 was filed by Super Sack Company Limited and BBY Sacks Limited.

 

Others are Mama Sannu Industries Limited, Dala Foods Nigeria Limited, Tofa Textile Limited and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Limited (MAN).

The motion ex-parte was moved by Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to the plaintiffs.

 

On April 3, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

READ  Rotimi Akeredolu Naira Re-design: Ondo drags FG before Supreme Court, applies to join Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi suit

 

The commission said customers under the category, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, would begin to pay N225 per kilowatt (kW) from April 3 — up from N66.

The sudden hike has been criticised by the house of representatives and other stakeholders who have asked NERC to suspend the implementation of the new tariff.

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UK local election: Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting valid ID

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Former prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, was turned away from his local polling station after forgetting to bring the required photo identity.

 

Johnson had joined locals in South Oxfordshire on Thursday to vote in the police and crime commissioner election.

Polling officials however told him he would not be allowed to vote without providing his identity.

There are 22 acceptable forms of ID in the UK including passports, driving licences, blue badges, and certain local travel cards.

 

As prime minister in 2022, Johnson introduced the Elections Act which requires photo ID — a development that sparked intense criticisms from Britons.

Last year, the Electoral Commission warned that the new law could exclude hundreds of thousands of people, including minorities and those with disabilities.

A spokesperson for Johnson confirmed he had forgotten the photo ID, but that he was able to cast his ballot after he returned with a valid ID.

READ  Buhari says Naira redesign has minimised money influence in politics

 

“Mr Johnson voted Conservative,” Sky News quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Downing Street said it would “look into” changing the controversial rules which require photo ID in order to vote, so that ID cards of veterans can be added to the list of valid identification.

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Governors can pay N615k minimum wage if they get priorities right – NLC

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President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says state governors can afford to pay the proposed N615,000 minimum wage if they get their priorities right.

Ajaero spoke on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television.

 

Recently, organised labour announced that the new minimum wage should be pegged at N615,000.

The proposal came amid ongoing minimum wage negotiations between federal and state governments on one hand, and organised labour on the other.

 

In 2019, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari pegged the national minimum wage at N30,000.

After the new minimum wage was announced at the time, it took some states forever to implement the increment.

 

Asked during the interview if organised labour’s proposal of N615,000 is realistic, Ajaero said the amount is the “most realistic” given the galloping inflation in the country.

 

The NLC president said organised labour considered factors like transportation, housing, and feeding before arriving at the sum.

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“If you are talking about being realistic, the N615,000 demand is the most realistic. Being realistic is not about slave wage,” Ajaero said.

 

“However, N30,000 is big money if inflation is brought down, and at a single digit.

“Look at the indices that create inflation. If you check them, you can talk about being realistic. All other factors in the country are going high and wages remain constant.”

 

Asked if states can afford the N615,000 proposal, the NLC president averred that it is not about ability to pay but the priorities of states.

“I think we need to understand the issues of ability to pay and not getting the priority right,” he added.

 

“Most of the states that have shown willingness to pay the current minimum wage are not among those getting the highest revenue.

“During the time of Muhammadu Buhari, some states were declared not having enough money to pay and he released funds for them to pay.

READ  Tinubu’s comment on fuel scarcity, naira redesign taken out of context – Onanuga

 

“Those states still refused to pay. It is not the question of either the quantum of money that they have or not, it is what they decide to do with such money.

 

“If they get their priorities right, then a lot can happen.”

 

Organised labour has also threatened to embark on a strike if a new minimum wage is not announced before May 31, 2024.

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