NAGAFF Founder, Aniebonam commends Tin Can Customs' boss in areas of revenue collection, conflict resolution, etc.

BY GODWIN OBI

The Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has extolled the management prowess of the Area Controller of Tin Can Customs Command in the areas of revenue collection and accounting, Conflict Resolution, Industrial Harmony, Anti-Smuggling Functions And Trade Facilitation

In a statement endorsed by the first President of NAGAFF, Dr. Aniebonam stated thus: “Let it be on record that the unpopular trade policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria delisting well over 41 traded goods from forex incentive did throw up matters of untrue declaration for Customs purposes into technical hitches. It is a trite trade regulation that all imports into Nigeria must be accompanied with a registered form M in any of the authorised commercial banks. Unfortunately CBN trade regulation does not consider the Customs laws in relation to goods shipped into Nigeria with incomplete documents as contained under Sections 27, 28 and 29 of Customs and Excise Management Act.

“The inherent powers of the Customs laws to address such matters as an Act of the National Assembly are not in doubt. This is because the Customs laws are superior to an executive order on trade goods. What is playing out at the moment at Customs ports are that the CBN trade rules are in conflict with destination inspection trade policy of the government. This simply means that CBN trade rules have thrown up non compliance attitude among traders on matters of making genuine declaration for Customs purposes. Delisting 41 items from forex incentive has placed such goods under prohibition list technically. Therefore, the urgent need for CBN to exercise restraint on fiscal policies cannot be over emphasized.

“Unfortunately, the Customs laws as a superior legislation do not agree with the position of CBN on matters of delisting 41 trade goods from forex incentive as contained under Section 27, 28 and 29 of CEMA. These avoidable circumstances indeed are the problems Customs may be facing in the ports cargo clearance procedures. The irony of these uncoordinated trade rules and the deployment of pre-arrival assessment report which is advisory leaves the Customs in a difficult situation to manage international trade in Nigeria. The good news is the tact with which the CAC of TCIP uses to ensure proper duty collection and facilitation of trade. Among others includes but not limited to suppression of smuggling and enhancing industrial harmony. It is our hope that other area comptrollers should endeavour to emulate his ability and capacity to deploy the golden rule of the service in carrying out his statutory duty. And for the emphasis destination inspection simply means customs examination.

“Therefore, going forward is straight and unambiguous to ensuring proper Customs examination of ladden containers and taking inventories for Customs purposes. The relevance or otherwise of the intervention forces of the service shall fizzle out naturally from the city roads and federal highways if only the operators and the Customs examiners are patriotic enough to do the right thing. The Federal Operation Unit (FOU) of the service shall continue to carry on with its statutory duty as an intervention force of the service. The right thing to do is for the traders and their freight forwarding agents to ensure honest declaration for Customs purposes. The Customs examiners are also to ensure proper Customs examination and duty accounting. CAC Kunle Oloyede is being encouraged to keep it up and every other stakeholder is hereby called to duty. Let’s make Nigeria great once again while advising CBN to consult the customs for input on trade rules formulation. Trade is the hub of any nation’s economic growth and development and therefore the need for ensuring standard operating condition cannot be overemphasised.

He continued, “Let’s join hands to make Nigeria great once again. Vote for new NIGERIA PEOPLES PARTY 2023 and together we shall reform Customs ports senator KWANKWASO as the President of Nigeria. What we need at the moment is to grant Customs partial autonomy as the leading government agency in the Customs ports to enhance international trade development in Nigeria than the present position under finance ministry. Other regulatory agencies of the government in the Customs ports needed to be repositioned for increased ports efficiency and productivity.

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