Lagos — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, will soon begin the direct delivery of Low Pour Fuel popularly known as Black Oil to manufacturers as part of government's efforts to boost the real sector of the economy, create more job opportunities and increase productivity.

Also, the Federal Government is to introduce a single computerized platform for all port transactions to ensure that clearance of imported raw materials is done within 48 hours of arrival in the nation's ports.

Finance Minister, Olusegun Aganga, revealed the Federal Government's initiatives at an interactive session with members of the Organised Private Sector, OPS, hosted by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, in Lagos, weekend.

Representatives of the Organised Private Sector on their part, asked the government to address issues such as security, especially kidnapping, lack of power, overlapping functions of regulatory agencies , and exemption VAT for food products, among others.

They also noted that high tariff had become a disincentive to local manufacturers and made Nigeria a dumping ground, thereby widening unemployment here and boosting jobs in other countries.

The minister and the OPS agreed on sustained dialogue to enable the private sector make meaningful contributions into ideas before it is translated into a policy of government.

Both sides agreed that high interest rates had remained a hurdle for the real sector. To address this, the minister said: " We are exploring our global contacts of multilateral and other institutions to source low cost long term funds which shall serve our real sector better".

The president of NECA, Chief Richard Uche said " past efforts of the government have failed to arrest the massive de_industrialisation that has been the bane of this economy". He said as OPS, " we indeed look forward to a dispensation where Government will indeed promote policy linkages and policy coherence among its various organs and agents which will support the revival of the real sector".

The minister said the National Economic Management Team ( NEMT) of the federal government has also " got the President and Commander_in_Chief to approve a new gas pricing scheme which favours industrial users.

The new gas pricing scheme will be announced shortly by the Minister of Petroleum Resources".

On NNPC's direct delivery of Black Oil, he said, " All that manufacturers need do is to aggregate their demand, determine frequency of supply, and appoint a dealer to lift cargoes. These are practical steps we are taking to help the manufacturing sector improve productivity".

He agreed with the Captains of industries that clearance at the ports, lack of electricity, high tariff, multiple taxes are all issues which have worked against the economy .

The minister said, " The tendium and the costs involved in clearing goods at the ports is a cause for concern besides the loss of revenue it triggers for government as Nigeria _ bound cargoes get diverted to the ports of neighbouring countries".

Mr. Aganga said, the new system " will cut down enormous paper work and endless duplications that currently clog up our ports transactions, brining in efficiency. It will save time and costs for port users".

He also said of government's efforts to tackle the nation's epileptic power supply in relation to the real sector. He said, NEMT has " set a time line of six weeks to work out a new power purchase agreement of independent power supply.

The power purchase agreement ( PPA) sets out the terms and pricing framework for the sale power by the independent power producers ( private sector power producers) to government which puts same on the national grid".

The President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ( MAN), Chief Kola Jamodu said, Nigeria cannot alleviate poverty if the real sector is not productive.

Organisations present at the interactive session included, NACCIMA, NASSI, MAN, National Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises ( NASME)