NACCIMA urges NASS to urgently pass 2014 budget

Alhaji. Badaru Abubakar, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, on Saturday urged the National Assembly to speed up deliberations on the 2014 Appropriation Bill.
Abubakar made the call at the opening ceremony of the 35th edition of Kaduna International Trade Fair.
The fair was organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
He said this would enable the executive arm of government implement developmental projects for the benefit of the nation’s economy.
Abubakar also called on the Federal Government to adopt policies that would propel agro-industrial and manufacturing in Nigeria.
“There is the need to diversify and increase export of high value-added agro-allied and manufactured products, that depend on the natural resources which Nigeria has comparative and competitive advantage,” he said.
The president advised government to ensure the removal of “procedural and regulatory bottlenecks incompatible with the attainment of the objectives of a dynamic export promotional policy”.
Also in his address, KADCCIMA President, Dr Abdul-Alimi Bello, warned politicians against allowing pre-election activities, election spending take its toll on nation’s economy.
“Despite our hopes and wishes on the revamping economy, this year and beyond, we must alert and warn that the pre-election activities may take its toll on the economy through distractions of partisan politics and heightened election spending,” he said.

Bello added: “We have seen that economy generally slows down in every election year.”

Bello, however, expressed optimism that the federal government reforms and planning on agriculture from development to business and profitable ventures would enable the nation emerges as the largest economy in Africa in 2014.
He said: “We believe that the Nigerian economy will reasonably recover in 2014.
“It is hoped that while the Gross Domestic Product would grow at over six per cent relative to the global average of 3.1 percent.
“Nigerian economy may emerge as the largest on the African continent and one of the top 30th in the world after the GDP re-basing, which is expected this year.
“The economies of the sub-Sahara African countries are projected to post an impressive average of six per cent growth as against five per cent in 2013.

“We need to prepare ahead of forthcoming global economic boom.”
He therefore urged the FG to address the issue of corruption and power trasmission to achieve agricultural transformation.
Bello commended the state government for transforming the State Industrialisation and Microcredit Management Board and supporting SMEs, urging other states to emulate.

The fair, which have investors from Egypt, Ghana, Turkey, India, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Senegal, Niger Republic among others, as well as local exhibitors would end on March 2.