Abuja – The National Economic Council (NEC) on
Thursday approved the new foreign exchange policy announced by the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, said this in Abuja while briefing State House
correspondents on the outcome of the NEC meeting presided over by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo.
According to Emmanuel, the CBN governor Godwin Emefiele told the
council that the foreign exchange policy would be determined by total
interplay of market forces based on demand and supply.
“Certainly, it is a welcome development. (There are) two areas that
we needed to really take head long and one is this flexible foreign
exchange policy.
“And to make it a little bit more flexible right now, I think it is a
welcome development.
“That is the opinion of almost everybody today who knows the
advantages of having a flexible exchange policy.
“It is going to help the economy, it is going to help ease of access.
“And if you also listen to the details of what he (the CBN Governor)
gave, so that I don’t actually repeat what he has said, I am sure at
the end of the day, head or tail, we should be better off for it.’’
The governor also said that the council received a report on Excess
Crude Account by the Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, indicating a
balance of 2.261 billion dollars as at June 15.
He said that the minister also informed the council that the full
report on the forensic audit instituted on the revenue accruals into
the NNPC and other revenue generating agencies would be given when it
was ready.
He also said that Adeosun briefed the council on the budget support
facility proposed by the FG to assist the states at nine per cent
interest rate.
According to him, as at today five states have completed the process
for borrowing from the budged support loan.
He however, said one state declined the loan, while disbursement would
commence from the next Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting.
Emmanuel said that the status report on the social intervention
programmes to reduce poverty and equality in the country was given by
the Presidential Aide on Social Investment, Dr (Mrs) Mariam Uwais.
He said that the report indicated that the basic education school
feeding programme for primary 1 to 3 would cost N70 per meal per day
per pupil.
He said some states had been selected for the pilot scheme but all 36
states and FCT would benefit in the long run.
He also said that the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu
Enalamah, gave a brief on the planned collaboration between the states
and the Federal Government to achieve the ease of doing business index
target.
Enalamah, who was at the briefing, explained that a presidential
council was in place to coordinate the ministers on the bottlenecks
facing business and how they could be removed to make Nigeria an
attractive business destination.
He added that there was an on-going reconciliation of accounts between
the FG and the states to determine the monies due to the states which
had not been released to them before the release of the budget support
loan. (NAN)