The Federal Government is losing more than N100 billion annually from the activities of foreign freight forwarding groups in the country, a frontline indigenous freight forwarder and national president, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu has said.
According to him, the loses come as these foreign operators who also have their bonded terminals and move any consignment from the port unchecked operate unchecked in Nigeria to the detriment of their indigenous counterparts.
Similarly, Chairman of the governing council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Tony Iju Nwabunike, lamented that most of the top jobs in the country are handled by the foreigners and that is one of the things that the Council hopes to correct.
Shittu pointed out that government gives target of about N650 billion to the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) annually, and added that although there are leakages, the Customs has been able to block some of the loop-holes and revenue leakages.
“Even overseas, leakages are always there but the smartest operators are the foreigners, they have money to invest, they will have their own bonded terminal. They will carry cargo from anywhere and apply for their bonded terminal to receive it, on receiving that cargo at the terminal, the rest can be imagined, he stated and added that there is a high tendency for abuses.
“So a hungry Customs officer can collude, I am telling you government is losing not less than a N100 billion annually with the involvement of foreigners in freight forwarding. There is a possibility that a pro this figure will continue to increase.”
He further stated that the average security personnel at the port gives more respect to a foreigner than a Nigerian, even though both are engaged in the same endeavour.
The ANLCA National President tasked both government and freight forwarding practitioners that the unbridled presence of foreign interests in the Nigerian freight forwarding business calls for a new orientation.
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