As a follow-up to its efforts in sustaining the current smooth supply and distribution of petroleum products nationwide within the festive period and beyond, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has engaged critical stakeholders so as to find lasting solutions to the road network challenges and other lingering issues.
It would be recalled that following NNPC’s intervention over
the weekend, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD)Branch of the Nigeria Union of
Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) called off a planned strike
action, agreeing instead to accept the dialogue option proposed by the Corporation,
a development that has sustained smooth supply and distribution of petroleum
products nationwide.
On Tuesday, 12/10/21, Group Managing Director of the NNPC,
Mallam Mele Kyari, took a decisive step towards actualization of his promise
when he hosted a major stakeholders’ meeting at the NNPC Towers.
The meeting was attended by the NNPC, the Petroleum Tanker
Drivers (PTD), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO),
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Inland
Revenue Service (FIRS), Department of State Services (DSS), Federal Road Safety
Corps (FRSC) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
During the meeting, the NNPC CEO said stakeholders have
agreed on a framework for NNPC’s intervention in critical road rehabilitation
through the Federal Government Tax Credit Scheme.
“We are committed to utilising the Federal Government’s Tax
Credit Scheme to rebuild some of the affected roads in line with Mr.
President’s Executive Order 7. Upon our fruitful deliberations today, the NNPC
has pledged to support the PTD and NARTO in carrying out quick intervention
fixes on some strategic bad spots identified to enable unhindered movement of
trucks for transportation of petroleum products nationwide,” Mallam Kyari
stated.
Established under FG’s Executive Order 7 of 2019, the Road
Trust Fund Policy/Tax Credit Scheme gives private sector operators an
opportunity to fund critical infrastructure with the government.
Stakeholders also agreed to enforce mandatory installation
of safety valves in all petroleum product trucks in the country effective
February 1, 2022 with full commitment given by NARTO.
The meeting also frowned at the abuse of axle load or
tonnage limits, with the NNPC agreeing to engage the Nigerian Customs Service
for enforcement of preventing the importation of tanks that exceed 45,000
litres capacity.
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