Major stakeholders at Seme border; Nigeria’s foremost gateway have blamed the current economic downturn and the unfavourable policy of the Federal Government which has caused an upward review of Customs benchmark of all imported goods for the declining fortunes of the strategic border.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, the chairman of Seme border chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Alhaji Lasisi Fanu, argued that raising the benchmark by the Customs by over 150% is unfavorable to importers.
He lamented that the upward review of the value of imported goods by the Tariff and Trade Unit of the Customs to commensurate with the value of the goods and to meet the current economic realities has made some importers to change their route.
Fanu also added that the annual China break that usually takes place from January to February could also be a contributory factor to the low and dwindling revenue bedeviling the Seme command.
The ANLCA chieftain also noted that the current economic recession occasioned by the increase in forex exchange rate which affected importation of general goods is also taking its toll on revenue at the once-vibrant command.
The ANCLA Chairman further disclosed that the situation does not only affect the revenue drive of the Command but the entire association rendering most of their members redundant.
Shipping Position Daily investigations reveal that the slow pace of economic activities first reared its head in March 2017 after exhausting the back log of un-cleared goods at the Atlas Park since December, 2016.
The downward trend of economic activities in March, 201 also resulted in a very low revenue figure of the command, which stood at a mere N474, 527,071.29.
According to the command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu notwithstanding the economic downturn, the command made 62 seizures with a duty paid value (DPV) of N25, 748,264.00 in March.
He noted that the challenge witnessed in the month of March, 2017 still persists.
But, he assured that, in an attempt to redeem the revenue profile of the command, he is engaging the critical stakeholders in series of consultations on the way forward and also proffer solutions and to get out of the ugly trend.
The Comptroller has also warned that all units at the point of entry or exit must be seen to be facilitating legitimate trade across the frontier, even as he reiterated that officers whose conducts are found to be inimical to the ideals of the service will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
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