Stakeholders in the maritime industry have expressed concern and fear over President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent assent to the Customs and Excise and Management Act. This is even as they have commended the four years extension of license renewal among others.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the new Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act, 2022 bill which was sponsored by Hon. Leke Abejide recently received Presidential assent to serve as an Act for the Nigeria Customs Service.
The bill seeks to position the Nigeria Customs Service to be financially stable to recruit the required number of officers needed to man Nigeria’s porous border stations. It also provides stiffer punishments for offenders to act as deterrence for serious economic crimes of Customs and Excise oriented, thereby encouraging more revenue in the area of fine payment.
However, speaking with our correspondent, the Deputy National President, Air and Logistics of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Segun Musa lamented that the major sections of the Bill which were pointed out as areas to be amended or expunged during stakeholder’s engagements and the public hearing were thrown down the drain and not addressed.
Musa informed that despite several engagements and inputs from industry stakeholders, the lawmakers turned deaf ears and were bent on successfully passing the bill into law for selfish gains.
The NAGAFF Chieftain stressed that the assented bill will have an adverse effect on the socio-economic activities of all Nigerians describing it as a death warrant.
“Mr President has just signed a death warrant. The major section of the CEMA is like a death warrant. At so many points, we were privileged to engage the leadership of the Customs at the forum as well as the public hearing and we pointed out areas that needed to be amended or expunged. But obviously, all that fell on deaf ears and for Mr. President to have signed it, it is most unfortunate. The powers that wanted the CEMA signed are bigger than the technocrats that know what will be the socio-economic impact of that CEMA.
“The same contents were forwarded to President Jonathan and he threw it back. Now that Mr President has signed it, to me it is an unfortunate incident for Nigerians. This is not because of the freight forwarders, but all Nigerians will be directly affected by these policies”, Musa stated.
On his part, a Chieftain of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Mr Pius Ujubuonu expressed optimism that the signing of the new Customs Excise Management and Act will begin the process of indigenization for the Nigeria Customs Service.
Ujubuonu noted that for over 100 years, the Service has been able to successfully design a Nigerian-oriented, created, criticized, accepted and enacted Law. He however looked forward to the successful implementation of the new CEMA.
“I am happy we have a new Customs law. If not for anything, at least this one is almost a 100 per cent Nigeria Customs and Excise Management Act. Let me assume that this is Nigerian whether it is favorable or not. At least for over a 100 years, we have been able to design a Nigerian-oriented, created, criticized, accepted and enacted Law.
“So, it is now fit to suggest that we have begun the process of indigenization for the Nigeria Customs Service. This is my singular reason for being happy. I have not fully read through yet, so I don’t know the pitfalls of the Law” he said.
The Secretary General of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr Festus Ukwu also denied knowing the contents of the assented bill, even as he noted that stakeholders do not know its prospects until it is made public.
Ukwu however stressed that the law will be challenged for amendment if the offensive clauses are still included. He called on all Freight Forwarders to speak with one voice for the success and progress of the industry.
“We contributed to some of the amendments that we are expecting from the Customs Act. It is until we see it before we know how favourable or unfavourable it is to us. We cannot start talking about it now when we have not seen the copy of the newly assented Act. We have to see the copy before we can give our comments on it.
“It is just quite unfortunate that the clearing agents are not talking with the same voice. I know there is no way it won’t affect us. If it does, we have to speak with one voice and push for amendment too”, Ukwu said.
Also speaking, the Tin Can Chapter Public Relations Officer of the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFLLON), Mr. Clinton Okoro commended the government for the four years extension of license renewal for freight forwarders. According to him, this will reduce the stress and cost of the earlier yearly license renewal.
Okoro also expressed delight over the new conditions for the appointment of the Comptroller General of Customs, adding that choosing career officers in the Customs will help reform the system and effectively address the concerns of stakeholders.
“We have been waiting for it for a long time. We are happy. But there are some clauses that they need to seek stakeholder’s consent. We are happy that the career officers will now be CG of Customs. The other issue of the four years renewal of license for freight forwarders is also a welcome development. Instead of running helter-skelter to Abuja to renew our license every year, we can now have it renewed every four years.
“We know how things are run in Nigeria; however we are happy that they have come up with a new CEMA. Those are the two agendas that I can refer to as something that is good for us as stakeholders. We are waiting. If it is going to work, we would be very happy with that”, Okoro concluded.
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