The
acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company,
NAHCO, Plc, Mr. Nobert Bielderman, Monday, said that the postponement of
the 2015 general elections for six weeks by the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, will have an adverse impact on the Nigerian
economy to the tune of $2bn (over N400bn) loss.
Speaking
with newsmen at a day summit organised by NAHCO Plc, Bielderman noted
that the devaluation of the naira against the United States dollars
would affect the domestic airline operators as they try to procure their
spare parts abroad.
According to him, the 2015
elections postponement would lead to Foreign Direct Investment to find
their ways to other countries and loss of confidence in Nigerian
economy, adding that it will also lead to huge business challenges in
the country.
He noted that in respect to the elections, many
European countries have placed travel ban on some of their citizens,
adding that this will negatively impact the aviation sector in the
country.
Bielderman, said: “Elections postponement impact on the
economy is analysed to be worth over $2bn as cost and investor loss of
confidence for existing and new Foreign Direct Investment that may have
found its destination to other countries.”
He added that
Nigeria’s foreign reserves was constantly depleted while the national
account is currently in deficit, pointing out that the crash in oil
price and consequent impact on the nation’s revenue earnings had led to
an exchange rate from N155 a dollar to N205 to dollar within a six-month
period at the interbank and Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
He
stressed that, there was an urgent need for all stakeholders and
professionals in the country to sit together and channel a formidable
course of direction that was sustainable in moving the country forward.
“The
negative factors that I have posited prior that limits aviation this
current year may be summarised as: naira depreciation, high exchange
rate, high interest rates and unreasonable domestic air tickets.
“Implicitly,
Naira has been devalued to between 30-40 per cent and this will
necessary cause inflation if government does not put in place deliberate
measures to mitigate against an upsurge in price across industry.”
Credit: Daniel Eteghe/Vanguard
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