Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Retired Col. Hameed Ali, says the service will continue to be facilitator of legitimate trade in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ali spoke in Sokoto on Tuesday at a one-day National Sensitisation Workshop for Stakeholders on the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET).
Ali was represented by Mr Mohammed Abdulrahman, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Administration in Sokoto/ Kebbi/ Zamafa Area Command.
Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Retired Col. Hameed Ali, says the service will continue to be facilitator of legitimate trade in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ali spoke in Sokoto on Tuesday at a one-day National Sensitisation Workshop for Stakeholders on the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET).
Ali was represented by Mr Mohammed Abdulrahman, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Administration in Sokoto/ Kebbi/ Zamafa Area Command.
''For us in the Nigeria Customs Service, we are always ready to play our role as a primary facilitator of legitimate trade.
''However, we expect strict compliance by the stakeholders with extant laws, rules and regulations in the clearance process,’’ he said.
Ali said that the workshop was a bold initiative to re-awaken the consciousness of Nigerians, particularly the trading community and the chamber movement on the implementation of the CET in Nigeria.
He said that the workshop was timely because '' it is only through continuous enlightenment programmes of this nature that all the stakeholders involved will understand the aims and objectives of the CET.’’
Alhaji Bashar Sa'ad, the Deputy Director (Fiscal Policy) in the Debt Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance, said that the CET would boost trade in the sub-region.
Sa'ad said that Nigeria had a vision to accelerate her economy as well as bolster her industrialisation efforts.
Mr Dangana Raymond represented Mr Thomas Kish, the Country Director of the German International Cooperation Office (GIZ), partners in the organisation of the workshop.
Kish said that the GIZ's support was to ensure the successful implementation of the CET in Nigeria, hence boost trade and reduce poverty and unemployment, among others.
Mr Adahunse Rasheed, the Officer in charge of the Illela Border Station of the NCS, explained that ''under the CET, all goods entering any ECOWAS country shall be subjected to the same customs duties.''
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