… As FAAC shares N907bn from N1.9tn June revenue
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved establishment of Infrastructure Support Fund (ISF) for the 36 States of the Federation as part of measures to cushion effects of the petrol subsidy removal on the people.
The approval was disclosed at the monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), on Thursday July 20, 2023, in Abuja as contained in statement released by the Presidential aide.
The new Infrastructure Fund will enable States to intervene and invest in critical areas of Transportation, including farm to market road improvements; Agriculture, encompassing livestock and ranching solutions.
Also, Health, with a focus on basic healthcare; Education, especially basic education; Power and Water Resources, that will improve economic competitiveness, create jobs and deliver economic prosperity for Nigerians.
The Committee also resolved to save a portion of the monthly distributable proceeds to minimize the impact of the increased revenues-occasioned by subsidy removal and exchange rate unification-on money supply, as well as inflation and the exchange rate.
Out of the June 2023 distributable revenue of 1.9 trillion Naira, only N907 billion will be distributed among the three tiers of government, while 790 billion will be saved, and the rest will be used for statutory deductions.
These savings will complement the efforts of the Infrastructure Support Fund (ISF) and other existing and planned fiscal measures, all aimed at ensuring that the subsidy removal translates into tangible improvements in the lives and living standards of Nigerians.
The Committee commended President Tinubu for the bold decision to remove the petrol subsidy, and even more importantly, for providing necessary support to the States to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on Nigerians.