FG. Appropriates $1bn For Fuel Subsidy In 2019 Budget

President Muhammadu Buhari said that the Federal government has appropriated the sum of N305 billion or $1 billion for fuel subsidy payments in the 2019 budget.

The President made this known while presenting the budget before the joint session of the national assembly on Wednesday in Abuja.

President Buhari said the amount will be used to cater for NNPC “under-recoveries”.

“We have allowed N305 billion, equivalent to $1 billion for under-recoveries by NNPC on premium motor spirit in 2019,” 

“We will continue working to bring it downwards, so that such resources are freed to meet the developmental needs of our people.

“Let me also use this opportunity to address and clarify the under-recoveries or subsidies on petrol in a period of economic challenges, our purchasing power is weak, we must reduce some of the burden on Nigerians.” Buhari said.

The President who asserted that unlike before, the NNPC is the sole importer of oil today, also stated that subsidies today are much more different from what they used to be in the past.

“The problem in subsidies in the past was abuse and corruption. Today, the government through the NNPC is the sole importer of premium motor spirit,” Buhari added

“Therefore the under-recovery is fro the NNPC trading account. This means the possibilities of some marketer falsifying claims are removed.”

The senate recently confirmed that $1.05 billion NLNG dividend to the Nigerian state was also used for fuel imports in 2018.