The Federal Government has officially approved the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of food commodities.
Minister of Agriculture and Food security, Abubakar Kyari, announced the decision in a post on social media on Wednesday.
Kyari explained that measures is to tackle high cost of food currently affecting the nation.
The minister disclosed that part of the measures is a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, which involves the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of food commodities, such as maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas, through land and sea borders.
He revealed that the minister said the measures will be implemented in the next 180 days.
“Imported food commodities will be subjected to a Recommended Retail Price (RRP),” Kyari said.
“We understand concerns about the quality of these imports, especially regarding their genetic composition. The government assures that all standards will be maintained to ensure the safety and quality of food items for consumption.
“Over the next 14 days, in close collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) and the Economic Management Team (EMT), we will convene with respective agencies to finalize the implementation frameworks.
“We will ensure that information is publicly available to facilitate the participation of all relevant stakeholders across the country.”
