Page 7 - DMEA Week 01 2023

DMEA SECURITY & POLICY DMEA

The delay was due to a shortage of gas pipes reach 99% in 2023-2024 upon completion of the
and the difficult terrain, he pointed out. He also current projects.
confirmed that power transmission stations in Arkab also confirmed that the project to
Milah will be supported through two electri- complete the delayed power station in Ain Ous-
cal substations of Wad Sejen and Milaf with a sara (Djelfa) will partially start operations in the
capacity of 80 MV each. The two stations will coming period and will be fully operational in
start operations in H1 2023. 2024. The facility will have a production capacity
The minister noted that the electricity con- of 1.26 GW.
nection rate in the state reached 98.9%, while the The minister explained that the delay
gas connection rate reached 65.81%, noting that recorded in the past years is due to the financial
nearly 57 municipalities are currently connected problems and the implications of the coronavi-
to the gas network. rus (COVID-19) pandemic. The projects being
He added that the electric power and gas implemented in the petrochemical sector in
supply projects in the state are progressing at a a number of cities are expected to give a great
good pace, as the rate of housing electricity con- impetus to the economy and employment alike,
nection has recently climbed to 97%, and will he stated. ™

NNPCL denies allegations of

unofficial crude oil exports

AFRICA STATE-OWNED Nigerian National Petroleum communications officer, insisting that the pro-
Co. Ltd (NNPCL) has denied allegations made ceeds from the sale of the crude oil had been
by the country’s Auditor General that it had properly accounted for and repatriated into
unofficially exported more than 17.8mn barrels the company’s accounts, and subsequently
of crude oil between 2016 and 2020, Nairamet- into the Federation Accounts, according to
rics reports. Nairametrics.
The allegations, which were made on January The NNPC also denied allegations that it had
1, claimed that the crude oil, which was valued at appointed Pre-Shipment Inspection Agents
over $1bn, was exported without the necessary (PIAs) and a Monitoring and Evaluation Agent
Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) forms being (MEA) in 2017, contrary to an order issued by
completed. President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
The NXP form is a mandatory document The NNPC has called on the public to dis-
required for the shipment of goods outside of regard the allegations and has dubbed the audit
Nigeria and includes details of the goods being report as a “malicious publication.”
exported as well as information on the exporter’s The NNPC is Nigeria’s state-owned oil corpo-
domiciliary account in the country. ration, headquartered in Abuja. It was founded
In response to these accusations, the NNPC in 1977 and is responsible for the management
issued a statement through its chief corporate of the country’s vast oil and gas resources. ™

Exporters must apply for NXP forms via the government’s Trade Monitoring System portal (Screenshot: TRMS)

Week 01 05•January•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P7