Laolu Akande: NIPOST licence fees will be reviewed

Laolu Akande, the senior special assistant on media and publicity to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says the increased licence fees for courier and logistics companies announced by the Nigerian Postal Service will be reviewed.

This comes after Isa Ali Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, denied giving approval for the licence fees to be increased.

In a tweet on Saturday, Akande said the matter will be resolved.

“We have just become aware of the recent increase in courier & logistics license fees by NIPOST and the concerns generated. The minister for communications and digital economy is already taking active steps: those fees would be reviewed and this matter will be resolved in good time,” he wrote.

We have just become aware of the recent increase in courier & logistics license fees by NIPOST, & the concerns generated. The Minister for Communications & Digital Economy is already taking active steps: those fees would be reviewed and this matter "ll be resolved in good time.

— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) July 25, 2020

Osinbajo heads the presidential enabling business council that was set up to remove bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria and make it an easier place to start and grow a business.

The committee comprises 10 ministers, the head of civil service of the federation, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, representatives from Lagos & Kano state governments, the national assembly and the private sector.

In a recent statement, NIPOST said small and medium enterprises will pay N250,000 as licence fees before their dispatch riders will be allowed to operate.

Regional and national courier companies would be required to pay N5 million and N10 million respectively.

The businesses are also required to pay 40 percent of the licence fees as annual renewal fees.