Truck owners in the Nigerian maritime sector have commended the Nigeria Customs Service for the ban it lifted on importation of rice through the land borders in the country, they said that the new order will enable truckers to get more jobs.
A cross section of the operators who spoke with Auto Port Weekly last week reiterated that previous government policies surrounding rice importation have been militating against their business, but added that the new directive from the customs is a clear way of putting smiles on the faces of truck owners in the maritime sector.
Truck owners in the Nigerian maritime sector have commended the Nigeria Customs Service for the ban it lifted on importation of rice through the land borders in the country, they said that the new order will enable truckers to get more jobs.
A cross section of the operators who spoke with Auto Port Weekly last week reiterated that previous government policies surrounding rice importation have been militating against their business, but added that the new directive from the customs is a clear way of putting smiles on the faces of truck owners in the maritime sector.
Auto Port Weekly recalls that the Customs penultimate Wednesday lifted ban on rice importation through land border with a accumulative tariff of 70%, including duty and levy.
But reacting to the development in chats with our correspondent, the operators described the development as an encouragement for their business.
Chairman Joint Council of Seaports Truckers (JCOST); Alhaji Kayode Odunowo in a chat via the telephone noted that the customs directive on rice is laudable, adding that it will have a positive effect on haulage business.
Odunowo who also doubles as the Chairman Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) stressed further that, "if not for Lagos government’s directive on the movement of trucks on the roads, the directive from customs would have served a very good purpose at this period. According to him, the new directive will boost transport operators’ activities.
Also speaking, a truck driver; Kazeem Alao stated that the directive from customs will help to put food on the tables of the common workers.
Alao said that the operators are suffering due to government’s unstable policy, and that the ban being lifted by customs is an avenue for truckers to increase their income.
He added that there will be frequent movement of vehicles laden with rice from the land border, pointing out that it is a welcome development.
On his part, a truck driver Hassan Audu appealed to government to put in place measures for vehicles to ply the ports access roads and border routes without hiccups, because according to him, with good roads in place, there will be easy movement of goods from the borders or seaports to the importers’ warehouses.
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