The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of N308,458,160,546.41 billion worth of promissory notes to 199 exporting companies under the Export Expansion Grant, EEG, scheme.
Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Dr. Ezra Yakusak, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, while issuing letters to some beneficiaries of the scheme.
Yakusak commended the Federal government and the National Assembly for prompt response in approving the payment of the outstanding claims to the beneficiaries.
A statement by NEPC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ndubueze Okeke, said the sum of N193, 456, 239, 386.40 was approved for 133 beneficiaries of the scheme in respect of EEG outstanding claims for the period of 2017 to 2020, while the sum of N108, 317, 269, 008.76 was approved for 35 beneficiaries in respect of EEG backlogs of claims for the period of 2007 to 2016 respectively.
“Similarly , the sum of N68, 389, 000.00 only was approved for 13 beneficiaries in respect of stocks of outstanding Negotiable Duty Credit Certificates (NDCC).
“Furthermore, the sum of N6, 617, 781, 151.25 was approved for 69 beneficiaries in respect of short fall in the approved claims by the 8th National Assembly,” the statement said.
NEPC noted however, that it is still awaiting the approval and release of the sum of N60,635,088,940.63 being the EEG claims for 34 beneficiary companies from the National Assembly.
“The EEG is a post-shipment incentive scheme that was established by virtue of the Export (Incentives & Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap E19, laws of the Federation of Nigeria. It is targeted at stimulating the increase in the volume and value of Made-in-Nigerian products in the international market.
“The scheme is also intended to encourage export of value added products as against raw agricultural commodities. Economic pundits are of the view that with the recent approval for disbursement of the said sum, it is expected that the non-oil export activities will increase which will ultimately lead to increase in the country’s foreign exchange earnings,” NEPC explained.