By Omodele Adigun
For remitting export proceeds of $60 million into the economy under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) RT 200 policy, 150 exporters have been paid N3.5billion rebate, for the first quarter of the year, as promised by the apex bank.
This was disclosed Thursday during the media briefing at the end of the 364th Bankers Committee’s
meeting monitored virtually in Lagos.
According to the Director of Banking Supervision Department of CBN, Mr Haruna Mustapha, who briefed the press alongside the managing directors of Fidelity Bank, Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; Wema Bank; Ademola Adebise; Guaranty Trust Bank, Miriam Olusanya, and Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, the discussions at the meeting centred on payment system and infrastructure; RT 200 policy and financial literacy with the overriding objective of benefitting the economy.
As regards the rebate disbursement, Mrs Onyeali-Ikpe stated that the incentives of N3.5 billion has been paid to the 150 successful exporters who took finished and semi-finished items off shore during the quarter and were able to remit their $60 million proceeds into the economy, and, in return, were rewarded with the rebate of N65 per dollar as promised, while Plateau State was the only sub-national that qualified for the N35 per dollar rebate and single digit long term finance.
Giving e-Naira update, Mrs Olusanya explained that the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) experienced 756,000 downloads, and got 165, 000 consumer wallets and 2800 merchant wallets, while plans are ongoing to onboard the unbanked through the USSD platform. She added that the banks have been pushing the digital currency to their customers and would continue in that line.
As regards Quick Response (QR) Code, Adebise disclosed that it has been accepted in 175 countries, while Suleiman said that the bankers were worried over the great resignation of professionals, particularly the software engineers, in the sector. He added that the Bankers’ Committee has resolved to seek the collaboration of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria( CIBN) to train professionals in the sector, to ensure that the sector does not lack any competent hands, saying that the committee will bankroll the initiative..