In furtherance of its resolve to open up the various sectors to private investors as part of the Transformation Agenda, the Federal Government is set to further open the postal services for private sector participation.
Consequently, the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday considered two bills aimed at achieving this.
The bills are: the Nigerian Postal Commission Bill and the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the bills, when passed into laws, would check the excesses of the players in the industry.
Maku also said the bills would provide legal framework for the smooth operation of the sectors taken over by the private sector.
According to him, the Postal Commission Bill would set up a regulator to ensure fairness ahead of full private participation.
He said: “The purpose of the reform is to enable the private sector to participate in offering postal services.
“We are undertaking these reforms in order to modernise the economy and unleash the full potentials of the Nigerian people in production.
“The purpose of the reforms is that where government is seen as a clog, we privatise and open them up.”
Also, the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill would deal with the issue of antitrust and abuse of trade practices “where people can take over and block the entrance of competitors.”
The Information Minister stated further: “Unless we undertake serious legal framework to open up the sectors, the people who took over may block further development of the sectors.
“People may engage in restrictive trade practices to block others but the idea of an open market is that as others actors come in, it will improve products and services.
“Therefore, under the reform, we are coming out with legal framework to ensure this. Today, a bill was brought for our consideration.”
Maku said Council examined the bills and agreed that there should be further discussion on it at the committee level headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, which should report back to Council within two weeks.
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