Energy
CBN introduces N250 billion stimulus package for gas investment to ease pain of fuel price increase
The CBN has introduced a stimulus package to help stimulate investment in gas as an alternative to fuel.
As part of the palliative following the sharp increase in the price in the pump price of petrol, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a N250 billion stimulus package under a National Gas Expansion Programme that it hopes will help stimulate investment in the gas value chain and spur its use in transportation as an alternative to fuel-powered cars.
Large scale projects under this intervention programme will be financed under the Power and Airlines Intervention Fund (PAIF), in line with existing guidelines regulating the PAIF, while small scale operators and retail distributors will be financed by the NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB) and/or any other Participating Financial Institution (PFI) under the Agribusiness/Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AgSMEIS).
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This initiative is to be implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The objectives of the facility include;
- Improved access to finance for private sector investments in the domestic gas value chain.
- Stimulate investments in the development of infrastructure to optimize the domestic gas resources for economic development.
- Fast track the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as the fuel of choice for transportation and power generation, as well as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as the fuel of choice for domestic cooking, transportation, and captive power.
- Fast track the development of gas-based industries particularly petrochemical (fertilizer, methanol, etc) to support large industries such as agriculture, textile, and related industries.
- Provide leverage for additional private sector investments in the domestic gas market.
- Boost employment across the country.
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The activities that are eligible under the intervention shall include;
- Establishment of gas processing plants and small scale petrochemical plants.
- Establishment of gas cylinder manufacturing plants.
- Establishment of L-CNG regasification modular systems
- Establishment of autogas conversion kits or components manufacturing plants.
- Establishment of CNG primary and secondary compression stations.
- Establishment and manufacturing of LPG retail skid tanks and refilling equipment.
- Development/enhancement of autogas transportation systems, conversion, and distribution infrastructure.
- Enhancement of domestic cylinder production and distribution by cylinder manufacturing plants and LPG wholesale outlets.
- Establishment/expansion of micro-distribution outlets and service centres for LPG sales, domestic cylinder injection, and exchange and
- Any other mid to downstream gas value chain related activity recommended by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
READ: CBN warns SMEs not to pay any fee to access its N50 billion stimulus package
The aggregators, manufacturers, processors, wholesale distributors, and related activities shall be funded under the Power and Airline Intervention Fund (PAIF), while the Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) and retail distributors shall be funded by NIRSAL Microfinance Bank under AgSMEIS.
For the manufacturers, processors, wholesale distributors, etc, the term loan shall be determined based on the activity and shall not exceed N10 billion per obligor. The working capital shall be a maximum of N500 million per obligor.
While for the small and medium enterprises, the term loan shall be based on the activity and shall not exceed N50 million per obligor. The working capital shall be a maximum of N5 million per obligor.
READ: How to access the N50 billion CBN Covid-19 intervention fund for SMEs
Interest Rate
The interest rate under the intervention shall be at not more than 5% per annum (all-inclusive) up to February 28, 2021, thereafter, interest on the facility shall revert to 9% per annum (all-inclusive) with effect from March 1, 2021.
Loan Tenor and Moratorium
The manufacturers, processors, wholesale distributors, will have term loans which shall have a maximum tenor of 10 years (not exceeding December 31, 2030) with a maximum of a 2-year moratorium on principal repayment only. The working capital facility of 1 year with a maximum rollover of not more than twice, subject to prior approval.
The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and retail distributors will have term loans that shall have a maximum tenor of 5 years (not exceeding December 31, 2030) with a maximum of 2 years on principal repayment only. The working capital facility of 1 year with a maximum rollover of not more than twice and subject to prior approval.
This new initiative involves getting many vehicles to run on gas by collaborating with investors to build the required infrastructure such as pipelines and petrol stations. It is also expected to help accelerate the use of natural gas and end gas flaring.
Energy
Petrol price to increase further, FG to add strategic reserves’ management cost
The pump price of petrol may be witnessing an increase as FG is set to add to it, strategic reserves’ financing cost.
There could be a further increase in the retail pump price of petroleum products like petrol, kerosene and diesel.
This is due to the Federal Government’s proposal of the addition of the cost of managing the national strategic stocks of petroleum products to the retail price of the commodities.
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According to a report from Vanguard, this proposal is contained in the 2020 Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which is currently before the National Assembly for passage.
This means that the passage and subsequent signing into law of the PIB, will lead to further increase in the pump price of petrol. Other things being equal, as the cost of managing the national strategic fuel stocks would, from then, form an integral component of the pricing template of petroleum products and would determine the pump price of the commodities.
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Other current components of the pricing template, apart from the landing cost include the National Transportation Average (NTA), the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) charges, marketers margin and transportation costs.
In the new PIB that is before the National Assembly, the new Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority that would emerge from the scrapping of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF), is to be saddled with the responsibility of setting up and managing the national strategic stocks of petroleum products.
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The new agency would determine the amount to be charged as a levy for financing the strategic petroleum products’ reserves. Which would form part of the retail price of each of the petroleum products, and also mandate to work with security agencies in deciding areas of the country where the national strategic stocks would be maintained and distributed. The 2020 PIB partly reads;
- “The Authority shall: establish, administer and ensure the storage and distribution of the national strategic stocks of petroleum products in accordance with regulations issued by the Authority.
- Determine and publish the amount to be charged as a levy for the financing of the national strategic stock, which shall form part of the retail price of each petroleum product, such levy to be determined as a percentage of the retail price and be deducted on a wholesale basis.
- And designate, in consultation with the appropriate authorities and national security agencies, the strategic locations across the country where the national strategic stocks shall be distributed and maintained.”
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The PIB is also proposing that facilities and infrastructure which are to be specifically defined by the soon-to-be-established Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for the storage of national strategic stocks would be exempted from the provisions of the law relating to open access.
The other functions of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in the new PIB include; regulating and monitoring technical and commercial midstream and downstream petroleum operations in Nigeria, and determining appropriate tariff methodology for processing of natural gas, transportation and transmission of natural gas, transportation of crude oil, and bulk storage of crude oil and natural gas.
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What this means:
This is going to add more financial burden to Nigerians who are already complaining of the high cost of petroleum products, which has negatively impacted on the price of goods and services.
It can be recalled that the Federal Government had some time ago proposed a new charge on petroleum products for road maintenance across the country. This was roundly condemned by Nigerians and some stakeholders before the idea was later suspended.
Appointments
TCN MD, Sule Abdulaziz appointed Chairman of West Africa Power Pool
The acting Managing Director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, has been appointed the new Chairman of WAPP.
The acting Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, has been appointed the new Chairman of the Executive Board of West African Power Pool (WAPP). Abdulaziz was nominated by the former Managing Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Joe Makoju, who is an honorary member of WAPP.
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This disclosure was made by TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, through a public statement in Abuja on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
In her statement, Mbah revealed that the West African Power Pool was created by Decision A/DEC.5/12/99 of the 22nd Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, and adopted during the 29th Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Niamey, Niger.
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The appointment was made during the 46th meeting of the WAPP Executive Board which was chaired by the Secretary-General of ECOWAS, Ki Sengui, and held through video conference on October 21.
The statement from Mba partly reads, “While making the nomination, Makoju noted that Abdulaziz is an expert in engineering with vast experience in the electricity sector and therefore will perform creditably as the new WAPP Executive Board Chairman.
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“His proposal was endorsed by MDs and Director Generals and other members of the board,” she said.
According to the statement, Abdulaziz in his acceptance speech thanked the board members and the honourary members for his nomination as the Chairman of the board and assured them of his total commitment to the overall objective of the regional electricity body.
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He also expressed the need to move the pool to the next level of operational efficiency and solicited the support of member utilities, especially members of the executive board in this regard.
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He urged members to ensure prompt payment of their contributions to the pool and also continue to collaborate actively with the secretariat to ensure effective and efficient coordination and implementation of all WAPP programmes.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has warned of a looming petroleum scarcity in the country, following attacks on fuel tankers and the disruption of depot operations across the country by hoodlums who had hijacked the #EndSARS protests.
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This disclosure was made by the Chairman of IPMAN in Rivers State, Dr. Joseph Obele, while speaking on a live radio program in Port Harcourt on Friday, October 23, 2020.
Obele disclosed that about 10 petroleum tankers belonging to its members were attacked and destroyed across the country by these hoodlums during the protests, although he noted that there had been no fatalities.
READ: DPR cautions IPMAN against PMS diversion
He said the scarcity of petroleum products could be inevitable if the situation failed to improve before filling stations exhausted their stocks.
Obele said, “About 10 of our trucks have been attacked nationwide by protesting youths, although there have not been casualties.
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“Supply and distribution of petroleum products haven’t really been smooth, reason arising from the fact that 90% of our supply came from Lagos and there has been a skeletal supply schedule in Lagos for the past one week.
“Thursday’s case was worse, [as] all the depots in Nigeria were shut down. We don’t produce these products; we buy from depots and tank farms, and if these depots do not give us products, we fear that when we run out of stock, petroleum scarcity will happen.”
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Backstory
Recall that the #EndSARS protest against police brutality and extra-judicial killings, which started peacefully about 2 weeks ago, was taken over by hoodlums who meted out violence with the looting and destruction of public and private properties across the country. This has also led to the loss of lives and disruption to socio-economic activities.
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