By David Agba Abuja
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has called for total reforms of the Nigerian economy by reducing government’s overwhelming involvement in the ownership and daily operations of ports and harbours as well as other critical sectors of the economy Amaechi, who spoke in Abuja, on the importance of outstanding transport sector reform bills being considered at the public hearing held at the instance of House Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways, specifi cally stressed the need to create enabling environment for private sector to operate in the maritime sector. He said: “It is common knowledge that Governments all over the world have realized that they are not best suited ownership and management of businesses, as such considered it imperative to shift from purely government ownership and management of businesses to public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
“Th e reforms therefore are intended to guarantee effi ciency, sustainability, competitiveness and profi tability.“In addition, it is imperative to intimate this Committee that full government ownership and management of these agencies had inherent restrictions for third party capital funding, undue government interference, burdensome bureaucratic structures and over listed workforce, amongst others.”
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari, the minister noted that the intent of government’s reform brought about the proposed amendments of the laws of some agencies and instruments empowering operation and activities in the Nigerian maritime domain.
“Our positions on the bills that are before this Committee for consideration are to: reduce and ultimately remove budgetary pressures on the government for funding on capital, recurrent and long term projects and introduce other tiers of government and private sector investment and participation in critical infrastructure provision which is the backbone for development. In his remarks, Speaker Yakubu Dogara urged the Committee to be guided by the recently passed National Transport Commission bill which seeks to designate the Nigerian Shippers Council as the economic regulator of Nigerian Ports and related issues in the maritime sector. Dogara, who admitted that “audacious attempts by past Assemblies to fi x this sector have not been successful, however expressed optimism that the ongoing move by the 8th Assembly will lay the foundation that will eventually “break the jinx and reorganise this sector for the benefi t of the Nigerian economy.”
