By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
A member of House of Representatives, Dr. Abdullahi Balarabe Salame(APC-Sokoto) has called on the Federal Government to establish warehouses at boarder posts for vehicle importers across the country to strengthen trade activities inorder to generate more revenue.
He said” rather than the outright ban of vehicles through the land borders which will further promote and encourage legitimate vehicle importation and boost revenue generation.”
Salame who represents Illela/Gwadabawa federal. Constuency made the call in Sokoto Thursday at the maiden edition of the stewardship forum organised for state and National assemblies lawmakers by the state NUJ in collaboration with the Sokoto chapter of APC.
Accordng to the lawmaker, the measure would allow importers to bring in vehicles within regulations, adding ” they will also pay the appropriate duties and move them into the hinterlands.”
The lawmaker who is also the Chairman, Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Special committee on Hajj said the National Assembly was making a move for special dollar exchange rate for both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages.
According to him, the gesture is tailored at lessening the suffering of the prospective
pilgrims, as well as enable more Nigerians to perform pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Salame further stated that” the federal government gave an exchange rate of N 360 to a dollar this year and this is on the high side.
” That was why even the 2017 hajj fare for the Muslim pilgrimage soared to N 1.52 million, per each prospective pilgrim,” Salame, added.
