Former Presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar has urged the Federal Government to take extraordinary measures to protect the economic well-being of the people and the country.
Atiku, who took to Twitter to air his views, emphasized that at a time like this when the coronavirus outbreak is affecting the production and profitability of businesses, the government needs to ease the cost of doing business in Nigeria and reduce the cost of living.
“The coronavirus is raging in the world and not just ravaging human beings, it is also affecting economies. Nigeria is not an island onto itself, and we must take measures to protect the economic wellbeing of our nation and people.
“Every action that can be taken to ease the cost of doing business in Nigeria and reduce the cost of living, while promoting consumer confidence must be implemented.”
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Atiku urged the Federal Government to reduce the price of petrol in line with the reduction in the landing cost of the product. He also said stamp duty on all types of accounts should be temporarily suspended until the nation’s economy would have stabilised.
Why this matters: As Atiku pointed out, if the environment is not suitable for businesses, they would have no choice but to disengage workers and fold up. He therefore also requested large scale industrialists and employers of labour not to disengage workers.
Atiku’s words: “I recommend that policies like the stamp duty on all types of accounts be temporarily suspended until such a time as the nation’s economy has turned the tide in the fight against this virulent scourge.
“Furthermore, as the landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, has reduced significantly, it is strongly recommended that the government should not absorb the savings.
“In addition to these measures, the government is urged to request large scale industrialists and employers of labour not to disengage workers. If they know that the government is behind them and will do all to support them, they are less likely to disengage workers.
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“These are extraordinary times, and we, as a nation, must take extraordinary measures to protect the entire nation.”