• President Jonathan to meet with the OPS, Economic Summit Group
There are strong indications that the Presidency is having a re-think over the controversial Customs and Excise Management Bill that has been passed by the National Assembly and is among the Bills that are currently awaiting the President’s assent.
• President Jonathan to meet with the OPS, Economic Summit Group
There are strong indications that the Presidency is having a re-think over the controversial Customs and Excise Management Bill that has been passed by the National Assembly and is among the Bills that are currently awaiting the President’s assent.
There are about two layers of opposition to the bill. One is the Organized Private Sector (OPS) which has remained undaunted in its opposition to CEMA since its days at the National Assembly. The second group comprises of senior officials of the Finance Ministry who fought hard to see that the Bill was not passed at the two legislative chambers, but failed due to what insiders called the lobbying power of the Customs.
Since it was given concurrent passage by the Senate almost five months ago, and forwarded to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent, nothing has been heard about it.
The Bill seeks to reform the administration and management of customs and excise and to bring the CEMA Act of 1958 in line with modern day best practices.
It is also expected to consolidate in a single reference document, the NCS legal authority scattered in eight different enactments with provisions in the bill to boost the financing of Customs Service operations.
Our correspondent learnt last week that, the CEMA Bill is not among those that are even being considered by aides to the President for his assent.
Our source in the Ministry of Finance hinted that before the Bill will be looked at, it will be after a meeting that President Goodluck Jonathan is planning to hold with the Economic Summit Group and the OPS.
“The ministry is not too comfortable with the way the Bill was handled at the National Assembly, we had expected that opinions of critical stakeholders would be considered and incorporated, but that was not done”, our source who pleaded anonymity stated.
“It will interest you to know that CEMA all over the world is not a Customs bill the way the Nigeria Customs Service is taking it and making it to look, it’s a trade bill, it is full of conventions”, he added.
He also confirmed the impending meeting between the President and the OPS as well as the Economic Summit Group; which is made up of critical stakeholders in the economy, some of whom are also members of the OPS.
The OPS is made up of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists, (NASSI) the Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACIMMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), National Association of Small Medium Enterprise (NASME) and the Nigerian Employers Consultative Council (NECA)
A senior official of (NACCIMA) told our correspondent about the scheduled meeting.
The source in the Finance Ministry also added that the taking over of destination inspection service by the Customs is expected to be a testy case. Its successful implantation will further determine government’s disposition to the Bill.
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