Customs Agents Want Finance Minister to Constitute Customs Board
The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun to urgently constitute the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Board to resolve controversies over lack of properly constituted board to direct the fiscal policy implementation as contained in the Customs and Excise Management Act C 45 of 2004.
In a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, signed by NCMDLCA’s National President, Lucky Amiwero, the body said it was disturbed by the absence a legally constituted board, as it is a major setback to the Nigerian economy.
According to NCMDLCA, section 1 sub-section (1) of Nigerian Customs Service Board Act Cap.N 100 L.F.N 2004, stipulated that the “Federal Ministry of Finance is to house and control the board” as clearly stated in Section 1-(1).
The Act provided that: “There is hereby established under the control of the Federal Ministry of Finance, a board to be known as the Nigerian Customs Service Board (in this Act referred to as “the Board”) which shall be responsible for the administra- tion of the Custom and Excise Management Act.
“The administration of the Customs and Excise Act is conferred on the board by the provision of Section 1 (1) of the Act, which must be housed and controlled by the Federal Minister of Finance as provided in the Act. This is to make for ease of policy formulation and regulation as conferred on the Minister of Finance under Section 2, 3, of the Nigeria Custom Service board Act and 4, 5 18, 26-(4) 36, 57, 74,81,116,120, 138 and 156, of the Customs and Excise Management act C45 of 2004, which was to regulate the economy through proper fiscal policy direction.”
The customs agents noted that the provision as contained in the NCS Board Act, requires the board “to administer the Customs and Excise Management Act, rectify any appointment, promotion, dismissal, disciplinary control of staff and policy directive released by the Minister of Finance as Chairman of the Board and the regulatory power on import, Export and Excise under the Customs and Excise Management Act Section 18, 26(4) 36, 57, 74, 76, 81, 105,111,116, 120, 138 and 156.”
They stated that there is an urgent need to give the service a direction through the legally constituted board under the chairman ship of the Minister of
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and licensed customs agents have agreed to form a synergy against smuggling and corruption in the maritime sector.
This was a fall out from a visit of the Controller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Lagos recently.
The meetings, which were part of Ali’s renewed strategic engagement with stakeholders culminated in the launching of an anti- smuggling sticker by ANLCA and assurances of support from NAGAFF.
Ali said his office is ready to strengthen a synergy that will prevent smuggling and enhance government revenue while fighting corruption in the sector.
Ali urged all stakeholders to be bold to report vices like corruption while assuring that there will be no hiding place for any customs officer found culpable.
He advised agents and freight forwarders to avoid cutting corners in a bid to make profit as some allegations of corruption against customs officers have agents collaborators, who seek to profit from them.
‘’We must be bold enough to fight corruption. If an officer insists you must give him money, let us know. We must be the one to ensure that all the bad elements among us are exposed. It gladdens my heart that NAGAFF and ANLCA have form a synergy with us. That will give Nigeria Customs the encouragement to do better,” he said.
President of ANLCA, Olayiwola Shittu condemned the multiplicity of customs functions and interference with other agencies like the police, which according to him, disrupts trade.
ANLCA also requested for a new clearance procedure that will eliminate frequent alerts and blocking of licenses.
Acting President of NAGAFF, Increase Uche called for professionalism, enabling legislation to promote customs function and entrenching international best practices.
Uche said: ‘’We are also aware that the CG has earlier today visited the headquarters of our sister association, ANLCA. Let me announce to the CG that these two leading associations in the total logistics supply chain are now synergising to bring about sustainability and support that would accelerate the growth of our national economy, which we feel will further help to ease the actualisation of your mandate as directed by Mr. President.
‘’Bearing this in mind and our interest in the success of your major task of trade facilitation, we have before now, made so many correspondences to your office including our last letter in which we requested that you host a delegation of NAGAFF in your office. The need to sustain the long standing mutual relationship and the strategic partnership which has existed between NAGAFF and the Nigeria Customs Service cannot be over emphasised. Today that dream is being actualised. This is basically in our efforts at carrying out our public policy advocacy role which we have been known for since over 18years of the establishment of our great association.
‘’Mr. CGC sir, as part of our contributions to the actualisation of your mandate, we have identified three major steps you need to take to achieve it. In fact, we will suggest that you set up a joint committee involving officials from the Nigeria Customs Service with the DCG Enforcement and Tariff and Trade and NAGAFF as members to, on a continuous basis, rub minds to put to effect, our contributions targeted at actualising a new Customs of our dream.