By Moses Patience Chat
The Government of Ondo State has announced comprehensive palliative measures to reduce the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy on residents of the State.
Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa, who also chairs the committee set up by the State Government on palliatives, announced the measures on Thursday.
Among the measures are free rides for students on shuttle buses from when schools resume in September until 31 December, immediate suspension of hospital registration and consultation fees and mass purchase of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to convey public servants to work places, among others.
His words: “Thereafter, affordable rates will be charged from January 2024. We announce the immediate suspension of hospital registration and consultation fees.
“Government will reimburse the hospitals directly based on existing data.In like manner, free shuttle boats equipped with life jackets for students in riverine areas starting at resumption in September, till December 31st. Thereafter, affordable rates will be charged from January 2024.
“We will immediately deploy all existing buses in all MDA’S to serve as free shuttle buses to public servants till December 31st.”
Also, the State Government would also make an unconditional cash transfer of N10,000 for “selected vulnerable persons in every local government” for three months.
In addition, pensioners in the State, including Local Government or State Government retirees, would get N10,000 each from August to December.
The Commissioner added that the State Government will also distribute food packages to one million households across the state, and make farm inputs available to farmers at subsidized rate and that “just as poultry and other livestock farmers will get free drugs, maize and feed for their birds and fishes.
According to him, “agrochemicals, seeds, drip lines, farm tools and power tillers will be given at subsidized rates. In riverine areas, free fishing nets and subsidized kilns will be made available.
“To ease the movement of farm produce, tricycles will be given free to farming communities. This will be supervised by officially recognised, community-based stakeholder groups.
“The State Government has authorized immediate suspension of haulage fee collection on all non-graded agricultural produce. These are produce that are consumed locally and not for export.”
He further said there will be immediate payment of the 2020 leave bonus to public servants. It should be noted that the state government has already paid leave bonuses for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Akinterinwa also revealed that various categories of small and medium enterprises will also benefit from the palliative.
Students who are engaged in businesses on campus, according to the Commissioner, will also get financial support.
The Finance Commissioner said the money to nano, small, and medium enterprises will be disbursed through existing government channels.
