The House of Representatives ad hoc committee raised to investigate the implementation and remittance of the five percent user charge on pump price of petroleum products for road maintenance, has inaugurated two stakeholders’ committees to address issues surrounding the collection and disbursement of charges.
The user charge as contained in the act establishing the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) stipulates that 40 percent of the proceeds will accrue to FERMA and 60 percent to be utilised by the established state roads maintenance agencies.
Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon. Francis Waive, said the two committees were expected to look into the pre-Tax Act, and the post-Tax Act situations, and address areas of conflicts with the FERMA Act, lamenting that the five percent user charge had over the years, “not been operationalised.”
He gave the two committees terms of reference to include; specifying modalities, procedures and processes for collection and disbursement, recommending specific modalities for personnel, opening of beneficiary bank account for remittance of collections, identifying and specifying roles to be played by specific relevant MDAs, and identifying gaps and conflicts of policies, and realignment for further legislative actions.
“This is a national assignment, not a personal business. It is for our roads to be good as elsewhere. We can make the difference for our country, so, please, take this serious,” Waive said as he pronounced the committees inaugurated.