The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has kicked against the denomination of price of gas in dollars and that the price of gas has become a major source of conflict between members and the gas franchisers.
The President of MAN, Mr. Mansur Ahmed, therefore called on Ministry of Petroleum Resources to address the challenges encountered by manufacturers with the price of gas.
Speaking at an interactive session on gas pricing in Lagos on Tuesday, Ahmed, who was represented by Mr. Paul Gbadedo, Chairman, Economic Policy Committee of MAN, said the persistent increase in the price of natural gas used by the members to power plants and machineries had reached a crisis dimension.
Similarly, the continued denomination of the price of gas in dollars had made the product perpetually exorbitant and gradually getting outside the reach of majority of the manufacturers, particularly the SMIs.
He, therefore, expressed hope that the issues would be addressed by the ministry to help with achieving the goals of the association at improving the current contributions of the manufacturing sector to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.
“This meeting is important and timely in view of the fresh challenges that manufacturers are encountering with the price of gas.
“In recent times, the price of gas has become a major source of conflict between manufacturers and the gas franchisers.
“These are areas to be critically addressed to help the competitiveness of our members and the concerted efforts to improve the current contributions of the manufacturing sector to the Gross Domestic Product of the country,” he said.
The MAN President also urged the government to clarify the recent confusion over the amendments of the “Federal Government Official Gazette No. 2, Vol. 106 dated 4th January 2019.
“A new Gazette in the Gas Pricing Framework for Textile Industries surfaces without the inclusion of Manufacturing Sector as previously indicated in the earlier Gazette vide; “Federal Government Gazette No.2 of 4th January 2019, Vol.3: Gas Pricing for Textile and Manufacturing Sector”.
“Our members earnestly seek official clarification of the latest position of government and the operational Gazette they should rely upon to plan their operations and make their business projections,” he said.
Dr. Micheal Adebayo, Chairman Gas Users Group of MAN, said the benchmarking of the price of gas to dollars had made the process very volatile and was responsible for the various increases in the price of gas witnessed today.
Adebayo added that benchmarking the price of gas to the dollar exchange rate was not in consonance with the CBN directive of transacting businesses in Nigeria in the local currency.
According to him, the average price of gas globally was around $2.5 per scm, and the case in Nigeria, where it was $7.45 per scm, was worrisome and put the manufacturing sector in an uncompetitive position.
Adebayo recalled that in 1999, the step by the government to stop gas flaring encouraged private sector operators to invest in gas infrastructure and utilization, thereby converting their various production technologies and processes to the use of natural gas.
MM/GIK/APA