Even though the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service had last week directed all Customs Areas Controller to begin immediate implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) Shipping Position Dailygathered that implementation has not commenced.
Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala had in a statement last week approved the implementation of the new tariff in Nigeria, after which the Customs boss had spoken through its image maker; Mr. Wale Adeniyi that all customs command must commence implementation.
Even though the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service had last week directed all Customs Areas Controller to begin immediate implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) Shipping Position Dailygathered that implementation has not commenced.
Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala had in a statement last week approved the implementation of the new tariff in Nigeria, after which the Customs boss had spoken through its image maker; Mr. Wale Adeniyi that all customs command must commence implementation.
But our correspondent who visited the various commands in Lagos yesterday gathered that implementation has not commenced.
At PTML Command, image maker of the Customs command, Mr. Steve Okonmah said that there has not been any circular from the headquarters directing customs to begin implementation.
Okonmah's response was also re-echoed at the other commands; Tin Can and Apapa port visited by our correspondent.
"We are yet to receive any circular to that effect, we are a government agency and we cannot just begin implementation of what we have not been directed to do"
"I cannot comment on the CET because I have not seen it, I can only speak on what I have seen. I might speak to you now and when implementation starts it becomes something contrary" he said.
Meanwhile, a customs licensed agent, Mr. Gani Adeola in a chat with our correspondent expressed doubt at the sincerity of the Nigeria Customs on the implementation of the common external tariff implementation.
According to him, policies that can benefit the masses are not usually implemented by the customs, but those that are anti-masses; customs do not usually wait for official circulars before commencing implementation.
Adeola said, "it is a good idea but unfortunately this is a corrupt nation, anything that is for the benefit of the masses, customs will tell you there is no circular, but the one that does not favour the masses, even before they issue circular, customs would have commenced implementation"
He lamented that high tariff on importation is killing Nigerian importers and that the CET will cause all diverted cargoes to come back to Nigerian port.
On his part, a Chieftain of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Ugochukwu Nnadi suspected foul play in the implementation date of the CET, saying that government shouldn't have fixed it for Saturday 11th, a date that coincided with the 2015 gubernatorial election.
"Why must it be on a Saturday at this particular time that they have to begin implementation? The agreement was reached in 1997 finalized in 2013 to begin 2015, Between January and April they could not implement it"
"I hope it is not a greed gift that the Jonathan government wants to leave for the new administration" he said.
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