Hvad nu, hvis man importerer benzin i stor stil og får penge fra staten som kompensation for at sælge den billigere, men tager pengene uden at importere benzinen, mens embedsfolk tager sig betalt for at tie? Så er det svindel – ny rapport ikke rar læsning.
Nigeria’s parliament has discussed a report said to reveal that 6 billion US dollar has been defrauded (svindlet) from the fuel subsidy fund in the past two years, BBC online reports Tuesday.
Despite being a major oil producer, Nigeria has not invested in the infrastructure needed to produce refined fuel, so has to import much of its petrol.
The 205-page parliamentary report uncovers a long list of alleged wrongdoings involving oil retailers (grossister), Nigeria’s Oil Management Company and the state Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.
According to the leaks, a total of 15 fuel importers collected more than 300 million dollar two years ago without importing any fuel, while more than 100 oil marketers collected the same amount of money on several occasions.
The leaked report also says that officials in the government of President Goodluck Jonathan were among those who benefited from the subsidy fund.
Many of the people named in the document have denied any involvement in fraud, with some taking out full-page adverts proclaiming their innocence in local newspapers.
At least some of the findings are likely to be adopted by Nigeria’s lawmakers because of the huge public anger over the attempt to withdraw the subsidy.
The annual 8 billion dollar subsidy means prices are lower than in neighbouring countries – and many of the 170 million Nigerians see cheap fuel as the only benefit they get from their country’s oil wealth.
After a week of street protests and a general strike, the government agreed to restore some of the subsidy – and reduce the pump price of petrol to 97 naira (ca. fire DKR) per litre after it had doubled to 140 naira when the subsidy was removed without warning on 1 January 2012, BBC notes.
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http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41849&Cr=corruption&Cr1=
