Senate urges Customs Service, NSA to lift petrol supply restriction to border towns

 

The Senate on Tuesday urged the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to urgently lift the  restriction on supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) within 20 kilometers radius of communities bordering other countries around the country. 

He noted that the smuggling of the product to the border communities which was is later transferred to neighbouring countries contributed to the fuel subsidy crisis that the nation was grappling with for a very long.

He noted that the restriction placed on the supply of the product to the border communities as a result of smuggling of the product  across the border to the neighbouring countries is no longer justified considering that fuel subsidy has been removed.

According  to him, the continued restriction is causing double jeopardy to the communities with no supplies of the product while their businesses are collapsing due to high price of the product that they have to travel far to procure for domestic and business purposes. 

The Senate, in its resolution urged the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to lift the subsisting restriction order placed on the supply of the petroleum product to the affected border communities because the removal of subsidy by the Nigerian government has substantially put paid to the smuggling of PMS, therefore the products should be allowed to circulate freely without restrictions.

(c) The Nation Newspaper