The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called for the passage of the National Road Fund Bill to give vent to financing the maintenance and upkeep of the nation’s road infrastructure.
The President of LCCI, Mr. Babatunde Paul Ruwase who made this call in a press briefing in Lagos yesterday to set agenda for the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari believed that the enactment of the law would give the legal backing to the proposed National Road Fund which he said would be a repository for revenues accruing from road users charging system and any other sources for the purpose of financing the maintenance and upkeep of the road infrastructure.
Ruwase further called on government to introduce tolling on interstate roads that had been completed to ensure sustainable financing for maintenance of roads.
“To complement quality maintenance of our roads, it is imperative to introduce proper axle control and enforcement of use of weigh bridges on major roads across the country”, he added.
He however acknowledged government commitment to the reconstruction of major federal roads in the country among which are the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, East-West road, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria to Kano road even as he insisted that the issue of poor road maintenance neded to be addressed in a sustainable manner.
While underscoring the need for a functional and modern rail network, the LCCI boss hinted that a functional and modern rail network would facilitate movement of people and goods whilst reducing the cost of transportation, logistics and freight.
He said, “We commend the progress made by the administration in the development of the railways especially in respect of the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Aladja rail tracks, the Abuja light rail system and the success recorded on the Lagos-Ibadan section of the Lagos-Kano rail line. We urge government to expedite action on the ongoing rail projects across the country to ensure cost effective logistics for investors across all sectors”.
On power situation, the LCCI President acknowledged the efforts by government to improve liquidity in the power supply chain, the drastic reduction in the debt owed to gas suppliers and the generating companies, improvement in power generation and the enhancement of carrying capacity of the transmission grid.
While stating that they were aware that the Minister of Power was promoting alternative models to fix the problem at the distribution end, he observed that distribution end was still grappling with numerous challenges which he said limits the capacity to deliver to end users.
In his words, “The power situation continues to pose challenges to business operators. There are complaints across all sectors about high energy costs especially high expenditure on diesel. The situation has worsened with the increase in global crude oil price. Many businesses spend as much as 20-30% of their total operating cost on generating power. We propose that policies and incentives be put in place to encourage decentralization and more off grid solutions.
“The government should encourage and facilitate more off grid power generation for improved access to power. The Aba and Sura Market power initiatives should be widely replicated across the country”.
Photo: Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Mr. Muda Yusuf; President, LCCI, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase; Deputy President, LCCI, Mrs.Toki Mabogunje and Vice President, LCCI, Dr. Micheal Olawale-Cole during a Press Briefing to set Agenda for the President-Elect of Nigeria and the Government on Tuesday in Lagos .
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