Even as the Senate Committee on Finance has passed the Customs and Excise Management Re-enactment Bill into law, the Nigeria Custom Service has expressed enthusiasms towards the passage, saying that it will enable it play a leading role in international trade.
Public Relations Officer of the customs, Mr. Wale Adeniyi who was a guest on Shipping Position Live, a sister product of Shipping Position Daily explained yesterday that there are many inhibitions on the path of the Nigeria Customs Service as a result of its obsolete CEMA laws which it was using to operate.
Even as the Senate Committee on Finance has passed the Customs and Excise Management Re-enactment Bill into law, the Nigeria Custom Service has expressed enthusiasms towards the passage, saying that it will enable it play a leading role in international trade.
Public Relations Officer of the customs, Mr. Wale Adeniyi who was a guest on Shipping Position Live, a sister product of Shipping Position Daily explained yesterday that there are many inhibitions on the path of the Nigeria Customs Service as a result of its obsolete CEMA laws which it was using to operate.
But with the passage of the law by the upper legislative chamber, Adeniyi expressed high hopes that once the law receives concurrent from the House of Representatives from where it is expected to get the assent of the President, the Nigeria Customs Service will now play a lead role in Nigeria’s international trade.
The Customs image maker explained that one of the areas the service has experienced challenges is in the area of ICT, most especially on the Single Window Project which, according to him until now, Customs cannot boast of being the sole owner of the concept.
“You will recall that the bill that used to be the extant law of the Customs was enacted in 1958, between that time and now a lot of changes have taken place in international trade, procedures have changed, processes have changed, the volume and complexities of international trade have gone beyond what the old law could provide for”, he explained.
“So we are excited that the new law will bring in some of these changes and put Customs in a proactive manner and be backed by law”
“There are number of issues we would have loved to solve, but each time we try to take the step we remember that we are not backed by law to do it and we have to take a step backwards, especially in the areas of ICT and the Single Window Project”
Adeniyi assures of better performance and more vibrancy from the Nigeria Customs Service once the law is assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan.
But, two frontline stakeholders expressed divergent views on the Bill. While, the founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Dr Boniface Aniebonam expressed satisfaction with the passage, the factional president of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents; Mr Lucky Amiwero called for caution.
Dr Aniebonam told our correspondent yesterday that the passage of the new CEMA by the Senate met the aspirations of his association.
“It is quite a great development that will bring the Nigeria Customs Service in tune with global practices and also enhance trade facilitation, we are very excited. It will bring partial autonomy to the Customs and NAGAFF is happy about it”, he stressed.
But, Mr Amiwero said that the Bill may not be signed into law by the President if the amendments that were proposed were not reflected.
There should be concurrent passage by the House of Representatives, I know that the House passed an earlier Bill, I hope the Senate own is not different from what the House passed”, he observed.
For that Bill to be signed, it must reflect the amendments and also be in concurrence with
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