Senate President, Senator David Mark Thursday ruled out successful running of the automotive industry considering the epileptic power supply in the country now.
Mark who stated in his remark on a bill on Nigerian Automotive Industry Development which scaled through second reading, said the bill was good on paper.
Mark said, “On paper this is an excellent bill and there is absolutely no doubt about it, but what is more important is that it is not just this bill alone that will solve the problem of the automotive industry. Beyond this bill, practically on ground we are not just prepared because no investor is going to put his money here if you cannot guarantee him power.
“If he is going to run on generator 24 hours, he will never be able to compete in the international market.
“It is not a matter of producing rubber for Michelin, it is beyond that. DICON, which is in Kaduna today was established the same time with the one in Brazil and India. Today the equivalent in Brazil is building ships, aircrafts, armoured cars, DICON in Nigeria is producing furniture.
“We are missing the point not by this bill but you know because we have not laid the foundation for which this bill can become sustainable.
“I agree that the Ajaokuta Iron Steel Company is very important and so are all the other steel mills.
“On paper the bill is good. WTO will say it’s protectionist policy but China has protectionist policy, today everybody is going to China, India has protectionist policy, there is no country does not have the protectionist policy but we abandon our own because we have failed in several other areas.
“I believe that the implementation is very important and unless we get these other factors together, this will remain absolutely good on paper but in practice it is going to be very difficult to get it right.
“Passing it is the problem for anybody here, we can pass this though the first, second and third reading the same day, if we are guaranteed that all these other supporting agencies are going to be in place.
“It is not a matter of giving waiver. We can give waiver but waiver to whom, to the wrong people.
“My suggestion is, this is an excellent bill, we should pass it, we should commend government but we must let government know that for this bill to be meaningful, a few other things must be out in place, almost immediately along this bill.
“Sincerely, I agree that this government is doing very well and we are doing our best so that those that we implement these bills that we pass.”
Leading robust debate on the bill, Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba said the bill when passed Nigeria is going to save Nigeria from capital flight.
In his words,” in 2012 for instance, N600 billion worth of automobiles were imported three quarters of which second hand.
Mark who stated in his remark on a bill on Nigerian Automotive Industry Development which scaled through second reading, said the bill was good on paper.
Mark said, “On paper this is an excellent bill and there is absolutely no doubt about it, but what is more important is that it is not just this bill alone that will solve the problem of the automotive industry. Beyond this bill, practically on ground we are not just prepared because no investor is going to put his money here if you cannot guarantee him power.
“If he is going to run on generator 24 hours, he will never be able to compete in the international market.
“It is not a matter of producing rubber for Michelin, it is beyond that. DICON, which is in Kaduna today was established the same time with the one in Brazil and India. Today the equivalent in Brazil is building ships, aircrafts, armoured cars, DICON in Nigeria is producing furniture.
“We are missing the point not by this bill but you know because we have not laid the foundation for which this bill can become sustainable.
“I agree that the Ajaokuta Iron Steel Company is very important and so are all the other steel mills.
“On paper the bill is good. WTO will say it’s protectionist policy but China has protectionist policy, today everybody is going to China, India has protectionist policy, there is no country does not have the protectionist policy but we abandon our own because we have failed in several other areas.
“I believe that the implementation is very important and unless we get these other factors together, this will remain absolutely good on paper but in practice it is going to be very difficult to get it right.
“Passing it is the problem for anybody here, we can pass this though the first, second and third reading the same day, if we are guaranteed that all these other supporting agencies are going to be in place.
“It is not a matter of giving waiver. We can give waiver but waiver to whom, to the wrong people.
“My suggestion is, this is an excellent bill, we should pass it, we should commend government but we must let government know that for this bill to be meaningful, a few other things must be out in place, almost immediately along this bill.
“Sincerely, I agree that this government is doing very well and we are doing our best so that those that we implement these bills that we pass.”
Leading robust debate on the bill, Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba said the bill when passed Nigeria is going to save Nigeria from capital flight.
In his words,” in 2012 for instance, N600 billion worth of automobiles were imported three quarters of which second hand.