The House of Representatives on Thursday ordered an investigation into the alleged non-payment of import duties of over N28.3billion in violation of rice import quotas assigned the Stallion Group and other companies under the new federal government rice policy.

The investigation, according to a resolution of the House on a motion moved under matters of urgent public importance by a member, Rep Simon Arabo is to among other things, determine the approved quota to each of the concerned companies, as well as the excess importation in metric tonnes, how much such companies are owing the federal government.

In addition, the investigative panel is expected to recommend appropriate sanctions against the firms, and a way to recovering the monies owed the federal government, and also to make appropriate recommendations to the House within three weeks.

Arabo in his submissions said the commendable efforts of the federal government over the new rice policy, intended to encourage local rice production with a view to ensuring self sufficiency in that area by 2016 was being frustrated by lack of compliance with the guidelines issued by the government, through its Ministry of Agriculture.

He said, “Stallion Group, Popular Foods and Olam Nigeria Limited in collusion with their foreign investors have imported rice exceeding their approved quotas, and thus owe the federal government about N28.3 billion in import duties.

The lawmaker specifically revealed that Stallion Group and Popular Foods, who were yet owing the federal government a combined sum of N15 billion have gone ahead to import another 85,000 metric tons of rice into Nigeria.

In his words, “the actions of these companies are capable of scuttling the nation’s self-sufficiency in rice production, an act which deny the federal government of Nigeria the needed revenue (from) import duties.

Source: VANGUARD