Following the soaring price of cement in the country, stakeholders have urged President Goodluck Jonathan to embrace the Open General License (OGL), for importation of cement as a way of forcing prices of the commodity to fall within the reach of the common man.
One of them, a prominent customs licensed agent, Prince Owen Mekwa who was reacting to the rising cost of the essential commodity tasked the President to consider a new policy.
Following the soaring price of cement in the country, stakeholders have urged President Goodluck Jonathan to embrace the Open General License (OGL), for importation of cement as a way of forcing prices of the commodity to fall within the reach of the common man.
One of them, a prominent customs licensed agent, Prince Owen Mekwa who was reacting to the rising cost of the essential commodity tasked the President to consider a new policy.
Prince Mekwa spoke in Port Harcourt while reacting to the unilateral increase of cements across the country, decried the hike in the prices of cement across the country, describing the development as unfortunate.
The custom’s clearing agent noted that hike in the price of cement ought to give the President concern, because according to him, he promised Nigerians a commitment to ensure low prices of cement product across the states of the federation.
He said that President Jonathan still have the power to implement the policy on low cement prices across the country should he decide to return to the policy of Open General License(OGL) for all importers who have the financial muscle and the interest to venture into import and manufacturing.
He observed that what has continued to encourage hike in cement prices is the refusal of the federal government to further deregulate the market beyond what we have presently.
Prince Owen said that as long as few powerful individuals are given the protection to monopolize and dictate the tune of cement importation into the country, the challenge of hike in cement prices will continue unabated.
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