Sunday, July 24, 2024

Agency report

Some Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents, have expressed mixed reactions to the Federal Government’s duty-free period on some essential food items in the country.

While traders expressed optimism, other Nigerians told newsmen on Sunday that they were somewhat indifferent to the policy.

The residents argued that experience had taught them that it was possible for prices of goods to increase but almost impossible for them to decline, no matter the circumstances.

The Federal Government announced on July 8, a 150-day duty-free import window for some food commodities.

Consequently, the government suspended duties, tariffs, and taxes on the import of certain food commodities through land and sea borders.

The government also expressed willingness to collaborate with states to expand land cultivation to tackle rising inflation, which has impoverished many Nigerians.

Mrs Funmi Adebayo, a trader in Apo, said the skyrocketing cost of basic food items had been a constant struggle.

Adebayo welcomed the government’s intervention with cautious optimism, saying that if the aim was achieved, it would ameliorate Nigerians’ sufferings.

“The price of rice has continued to increase, making it difficult for sellers and buyers alike.

“A bag of foreign rice sold at N75,000 a few weeks ago is now selling for N85,000 to N90,000 today.

“This duty-free policy may help bring down costs, and that will be a huge relief for people like me who are finding it hard to make ends meet,” she said

Another trader, Kasim Mustafa, who sells cereals and other food items at the Apo Fish Market, also decried the high cost of items and low sales.

Mustafa said the policy would ease the burden of soaring food prices and improve food security in the country.

“It is a welcome development for us, even if it is just for a short period.

“Two to three weeks ago, I sold a mudu of dry maize and guinea corn for N1, 3500 to N1,400, but today, I am selling it for N1,500.

“If this policy results in reduced prices of food items, it will excite Nigerian who rely on these staples to feed their families,” he said.

According to him, it will increase sales for traders, thus providing them (traders) more money to care for our families and improve our businesses.

These sentiments were echoed by Mr Chinedu Okeke, an artisan and widower with three children.

“It has not been easy for me since I lost my wife, and I am faced with the responsibility of providing and taking care of my children all by myself.

“Every trip to the market is a challenge because my salary has not increased for two years now, and the cost of living keeps increasing daily.

“These days, there is no food for the common man as food items which used to be affordable for commoners are no longer available,” Okeke said.

According to him, the price for a mudu of beans, which many ordinary Nigerians used to enjoy before, is now being sold for N3,500, which is extremely high.

Okeke said: “If the government can reduce the cost of rice, wheat, beans and maize, it will make a big difference for my family.”

Also speaking, Ms Gladys Anthony, a civil servant, said she was open to Federal government policy.

According to her, it will take God’s intervention and a lot of effort for the prices of goods, which have increased to drop.

“I am optimistic like every Nigerian, but I will only express my joy when I see that the prices of things begin to drop,” she said.

Meanwhile, while urban consumers look forward to potential price reductions, farmers in rural areas have mixed feelings about the influx of duty-free imports.

Mr Terlumun Azege, a rice farmer in Benue said, “it is good that the government wants to help with food prices, but what about us farmers?

“The government must ensure balanced policies that support consumers and local producers because we need support to improve our yields and compete with imported goods.

“If the market is flooded with cheap imports, it can hurt local agriculture in the long run, so we need investment in farming technology and infrastructure to be self-sufficient,” he said.

A financial expert, Mrs Chinonso Onyeka, said while this policy was a step in the right direction, it must be part of a broader strategy.

“We need to ensure that local farmers are not left behind and that measures are in place to sustain food security beyond these 150 days.

“We appreciate the government’s effort but also need to see long-term changes. Affordable food should not be temporary; it should be a constant reality.

“There is, therefore, a pressing need for sustained, balanced measures that support consumers and local producers in the long run,” Onyeka said.