By Uzor Odigbo
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Wednesday, kicked against federal government’s directive for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to emphasis only on revenue collection, saying the Service should emphasise on trade facilitation and national security.
President of ANLCA, Tony Nwabunike who disclosed this at a two day national workshop on the role of maritime in the Africa Continental Free Trade’ Area Agreement (AfCFTA) put together by Association of Maritime Journalists Of Nigeria (AMJON) held in Lagos, noted that the nation’s customs has been over stretched adding that a whole lot of challenges await the country at the commencement of AfCFTA except adequate measure are put in place to tackle infrastructural deficit in the country.
The licensed customs brokers’ President spoke on the topic ‘’The Role of Customs Brokers in AfCFTA: ANLCA Perspective.
Nwabunike reiterated that customs must be encouraged to continue in safeguarding Nigerian territorial boundaries adding that trade facilitation and national security of the country should be the hallmark of the customs.
According to him, customs should be motivated by the executives and legislatives arms of government to champion the ease of doing business in furtherance to measure up with the World Customs Organisation (WCO), in line with international best practices.
He pointed out that government should provide a benchmark as a means to standardise tariff charges for operators and shippers, adding that Nigeria is the only country where customs is being given revenue target.
The ANLCA President noted that :‘’Readily, Nigeria by virtue of her population and robust economy will be an attractive market from all kinds of goods under AFCFTA ,but care should be taken to avoid using Nigeria as dumping ground by other sister countries.
‘’Local manufacturers as well as farmers should be encouraged to export their goods and services by providing the enabling environment.
‘’Customs should be encouraged to continue to safeguard Nigerian territorial boundaries and trade facilitations, and security of goods in bound and out bound the country.
‘’Giving customs a target every year by the Federal Government of Nigeria should be discouraged, i strongly believe that the Nigeria Customs Service has been overstretched and Nigerians seeing them as not being friendly, a situation i sincerely believe should be revisited allow the customs to remain what they are suppose to be according to the standard of World Customs Organisation WCO.
‘’Ease of business initiated by the Federal Government must be adhered to the later, all bottlenecks in clearing of goods and services must be streamlined for the borderless trade of AFCFTA.”
Nwabunike who is the Managing Director, Mac Tonnel Nigeria Limited, while harping on the AFCFTA challenges, further called on the government to encourage local manufacturers and to be sensitive to unbanned some goods that are not made or locally produced in the country.
He also appealed to the government to provide a conducive environment for local manufactures and a bid for the them to compete favourably with other countries in the sub region.
‘’Ranging from infrastructural deficit like electricity, road networks, incentives to local manufacturers and farmers to multiplicity of government agencies as its affects trade and services.
‘’Also imperative is the attitudinal change of our importers and exporters must be a paramount issue to be frequently discussed at every fora.”
