Entrepreneurs in Bauchi State have decried the adverse impacts of the removal of fuel subsidy on the level of patronage of their products.
The entrepreneurs spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Friday in Bauchi.
Ugochukwu Daniel, a soft drinks and wine seller, said that the fuel subsidy removal had impacted negatively on his business.
He attributed this to the increase in the price of goods following the hike in transportation fares.
“The cost of transportation is high and there is no way you will go and buy goods with high in the cost of transportation without increasing the price of your goods as well.
“We are suffering from this whole thing right now as people are no longer coming to buy because of the increase in the price of the goods and the high cost of transportation,” he said.
Daniel, who recounted how he used to sell goods worth N100,000 daily before the removal of the fuel subsidy, said he now barely sells up to N50,000 daily.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently roll out palliative measures to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on the masses.
Similarly, Olayemi Abisayo, a computer centre and Point of Sale (POS) operator, decried low patronage of customers since the removal.
Abisayo, also a beverage seller, who blamed the trend on the high cost of transportation, revealed that he was making up to N30,000 per day, compared to now where he hardly makes up to N10,000.
However, a Poultry owner, Oluwaseun Aremu, had a contrary view saying that he was yet to feel any negative impact of the removal on his business.
Aremu said he was in support of the removal by the Federal Government.
According to him, even though the cost of transportation had increased, he has also increased the price of his products to meet up with the cost of transportation.
“I am in support of the removal of the fuel subsidy but the government should explain more of the benefits to the masses.
“The government should also come up with measures to help the masses who are feeling the hit of the removal most.
“To me, I cannot say I really feel the negative impact but the only impact is increase in transportation fares which I have also incorporated in the price of my products so as not to be running at a loss.
“For instance, before the removal of the fuel subsidy, a crate of eggs was sold at the rate of N1,700 but now I sell it for N2,000 and N2,100 respectively,” he said.