The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has stated that due to the increase in the price of crude oil in the global market, an additional N2.5 trillion is needed to cater for fuel subsidy.
This is as it demanded a total of N3 trillion from the federal government to fund fuel subsidy this year.
Investors King recalls that the federal government, on Monday cleared the air on the petrol subsidy removal, declaring its suspension after unions’ strike threat.
The Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed that only N443 billion was marked out for fuel subsidy in the 2022 budget to cover January to June, pointing that a total of N3 trillion would now be needed to continue the subsidy payment.
Ahmed made this known on Wednesday, while briefing newsmen after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
She said, “We presented to the Council today a request for Council’s consideration to make additional funding provisions to enable us to meet incremental fuel subsidy request in the 2022 budget.
“Having taken into account the current realities, increased hardship in the population, heightened inflation, and also that the measures that needed to be taken to enable a smoother exit from the fuel subsidy are not yet in place, it was agreed by Council that it is desirable to exit fuel subsidy.”
The minister explained that the additional money became necessary due to the increase in crude oil price at the global market adding that the country consumes 65.7 million litres a day.
“We have to make an incremental provision of N2.557 trillion to be able to meet the subsidy requirement, which is averaging about N270 billion per month.
“In 2021, the actual under-recovery that has been charged to the federation was N1.2 trillion, but in 2022, because of increased crude oil price per barrel in the global market, now at $80 per barrel and also because an NNPC’s assessment is that the country is consuming 65.7 million litres per day, now we’ll end up with the incremental cost of N3 trillion in 2022,” she said.
Ahmed hinted that the council agreed with the stance of the state governors, that there was a need to bring down the amount– N3 trillion.
“We want to be able to settle some of the subsidy costs through this reconciliation process. So, when we’re done with that, whatever is left that we’re not able to apply to what an NNPC is owing the Federation will not be increasing the deficit. And that means increased domestic borrowing.”
