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"TOKUNBO CARS"Atiku Carpets Jonathan.
Jonathan's Administration Would Simply Turn Nigeria Into A Dumping Ground.
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Former Vice President and Presidential aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has criticized the Federal Government’s announcement to extend the age restriction on used cars known as (Tokunbo) from 10 to 15 years, and the lift of ban on other items.
He said the new policy of the Jonathan's administration would simply turn Nigeria into a dumping ground.
The Atiku Campaign organization in a statement issued in Abuja berated the government adding that opening up of the nation’s economy to imported goods, including tooth picks, is not the best.
The statement said, it is obvious that the Jonathan administration has run out of ideas on the management of the economy, which has vindicated their previous position.
“Wouldn’t focusing on improving the environment for businesses in Nigeria be amore efficient way of combating smuggling while simultaneously stimulatingindustrialization and job creation?
“It is curious that the same government which in June 2010 approved the releaseof N24 billion for the resuscitation of the ailing textile industries in Kadunaand also approved N15 billion for the Kaduna Independent Power Project (IPP)could initiate a policy in negation of that initiative.” the statement stated
The Campaign Organization noted that smuggling exists partly because of the highcost of doing business in Nigeria, which is not only militating against the growth of local industries but is also making local products more expensive relative to what you find in other countries.
It recalled that a survey conducted as part of its membership operational audit in January 2010 by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), showed that 839 manufacturing companies closed shop in 2009 as a result of harsh operating environment.
On Tuesday, Nigerian Minister of Finance Dr Olusegun Aganga announced that the 10 year age limit on used cars otherwise known as “Tokunbo ” has been extended to 15 years.
Aganga also explained that some bans on some imported goods like textile,toothpicks, cassava, furniture, etc have been lifted in order to block smuggling and corrupt practices of some customs officials.
His words “It is expected that these trends are likely to continue; therefore we have received Presidential approval to replace the bans with tariffs to protect domestic industries”
FCT to Get ADB’s N6.7b Grant For Mass Transit
Akintunde Adeyinka,
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The African Development Bank (ADB) said it has received the Federal Capital Territory Administration request for a sum of $50 million which is about N6.65 billion to finance its proposed Bus Rapid Mass Transit (BRT).
The Bank’s Permanent Representative in Nigeria Mr. John Koffi Banfo who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday while leading other officials of the bank from Tunis to the office of the FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed to receive the title documents of a land allocated to the bank said that the request is being considered for due diligence.
According to him, the BRT project in the FCT would soon take off as soon as the bank grants the request adding that the Technical Assistance the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) has been enjoying from the bank which according to him is due to end would also be considered by the ADB for extension.
The FCT administration has recently proposed to introduce the BRT system into the FCT as part of measures to reduce the chaotic transportation situation in the city under which it plans to import 650 buses for the purpose.
His words: “The help and dedication you have shown in procuring the land for us will not go unrecognized and I will like to say that we have just received a request from FCT for 50 million US dollars from the Clear Technology Fund to finance it Bus Rapid Mass Transit (BRT) in the FCT.
We have already submitted your request for due diligence and we will make sure that in a very near future the project will take off. We are also aware that the technical assistance being received by the AGIS is coming to an end and we have advised that the request be submitted through the federal Ministry of Finance for due consideration by the bank”.
Speaking on the readiness of the bank to continue to assist Nigeria , Mr. Banfo said “the bank recognises all the roles that Nigeria plays and we will continue to work with the country in promoting the country’s growth, socio-economic development not only in Nigeria but the whole continent”.
“The position Nigeria occupies in the bank cannot be over emphasised as you all know Nigeria is our biggest share holding member country. Nigeria is also the financial of the third window of the bank which is the Nigerian Trust Fund and again, Nigeria is going to be the first country to have the permanent office in the continent” he added.
While speaking on the land allocated to the ADB by the FCT administration, the Bank’s Acting Director of Procurement, Mohammed Al-Aziz explained that the land would be used for the construction of ADB’s first field office in the continent.
The project which he noted will be completed within two years would be a model and would be replicated in 16 African countries that are members of the ADB disclosing that the construction of the Nigerian office is the part of the biggest projects to acquire offices in member states which was approved by the board of the bank in November 2009 within the framework of the bank’s decentralisation strategy.
“The ADB has made adequate budget for the project and the construction will start this year and the completion period is two years. The design of the building is planned to be completed within two or three months” he said.
Beautiful Cars and Attractive Models
Or Attractive Cars and Beautiful Models - Which is It
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If you go to auto shows in Geneva or Paris or Tokyo, sometimes it's hard to see the flashy new cars through the stick-thin fashion models striking poses in front of them. Gaggles of models. Queens of the runway have long been unofficially banished from U.S. shows, but a funny thing happened this year at the media preview for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit: The female fashions car models were back.
A few mostly European brands have sported fashion models in Detroit before. But generally not the American brands, Detroit's Big 3. The women in short skirts and high heels or knee-high boots were out in force earlier this week now that Italy's Fiat is running Chrysler. Fashion models were staked all over the Chrysler stand, posing right alongside the other models -- the cars -- that are supposed to be the focus of the show. Chrysler hired models for the Los Angeles Auto Show in December as well. "Beautiful cars and attractive models.
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