Page 15 - DMEA Week 08 2021

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

be functional by January 2023. because we spend millions of dollars intensive smuggling to neighbouring
“Regulations have been framed to allocate importing finished petroleum products.” countries. Reuters reported how impoverished
lands in the industrial zone,” Manzoor He said the National Assembly would give Sistan-Baluchestan province has been long
Hussain, additional secretary of industries the project the necessary support. the scene of clashes between security forces
for Balochistan, told Arab News, adding: “If you don’t help this industry, this and separatist militants and drug smugglers
“Now land will be allotted only to those refinery to come on stream, then, it means the and how, according to a resident spoken to by
industrialists who will set them up within the Nigerian economy is going to be doomed,” he the news agency, Iranian officials have in the
given time frame. added. past tolerated limited smuggling as a source
“Our mission is to create employment in On the PIB, he said the lawmakers were of income for the local population plagued
the province.” working assiduously to ensure its passage by high unemployment. Reportedly, controls
ARAB NEWS within the next two months. were recently tightened.
The Chairman, Adhoc Committee on PIB, State TV quoted deputy provincial
Dangote refinery will House of Representatives, Mr Mohammed governor Mohammad Hadi Marashi as saying
Monguno, also commended the Dangote
two people were killed by gunfire on the
strengthen naira, save Group for the project, saying it would help Pakistani side of the border. But Pakistani
border officials said protests broke out on
to diversify the economy and boost foreign
economy exchange reserves. February 22 on the Iranian side of the frontier
after Iranian forces fired at people involved in
He said, “The passage of the PIB will
The National Assembly (NASS) has said the make sure that the enabling environment is the illegal Iranian fuel trade.
oil refinery being built by Dangote Group will created by way of legislation for such private Abdul Razaq Saloli, deputy commissioner
strengthen the Nigerian currency and prevent investments to thrive, and make the oil and of the border district of Panjgur, told Reuters
economic doom when it comes on stream. gas industry much more competitive to also that a body and an injured Pakistani were
The legislature said this on Tuesday during attract further investments into the country.” handed over to Pakistani border authorities
an inspection visit to the site of the Dangote The Executive Director, Strategy, Capital by Iranian officials. Saloli said the injured
refinery, petrochemicals complex, fertiliser Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Pakistani man, identified as Shams Baloch,
plant and subsea gas pupeline projects in Ibeju Group, Mr Devakumar Edwin, said the had reported that over 10 people had been
Lekki, Lagos. 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery could meet killed and many others injured in the bout of
The Chairman, Senate Committee on 100 per cent of the Nigerian requirement of shooting.
Petroleum Industry Bill, Mr Sabo Nakuda, all liquid petroleum products and would have The protesters who stormed the governor’s
said, “With the new PIB coming up, we surplus for export. office set fire to a police car, according to
intend to visit all the other refineries, not only ECONOMIC CONFIDENTIAL unverified videos posted on social media.
Dangote refinery. Sana Ullah Baloch, a member of the
“We were in Kaduna yesterday (Monday). provincial assembly in the neighbouring
We are going to Port Harcourt and Warri so FUELS Pakistani region, said on Twitter that 12
that we know what the industry entails and Baluchi youths had been killed and urged Iran
what needs to be done to be captured in the Protesters occupy office on to investigate the incident and punish those
bill so that there will be ease of operations.” guilty of the killings.
Commenting on the Dangote refinery, he Iran Pakistan border BNE
said, “I’m totally overwhelmed. And looking
at this investment here, it is unbelievable that Protesters occupied a governor’s office in Iran’s First LPG Jetty at Tombak
a single individual can confront this kind of southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province
project at this time of our economic life.” on February 23, a day after at least two fuel export port operational
Nakuda said apart from the jobs being smugglers were shot dead at the nearby border
created by the projects, “I’m sure that by the with Pakistan, according to Iranian media. The CEO of Pars Oil and Gas Company
time this refinery comes on stream, even the Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices said the first jetty for loading and exporting
local currency is going to be strengthened in the world, something that encourages liquefied petroleum gas from the service and

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