LCCI: Restrict Federal Operations Unit of Customs to Borders
In a bid to facilitate trade and doing business in the country, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has called for the removal of the federal operations unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Custom Service(NCS) from all roads including interstate roads whether on checkpoint duty or on patrol duties.
According to LCCI, the Customs should be limited to the Ecowas Treaty Approved checkpoints close to international borders.
This call is in response to the 2017 World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking where Nigeria ranked very low at 183 out of 185.
The chamber also blamed the estimated $10 billion loss on non-oil export and 1,000 people killed in 308 container truck related accidents in 2017 on the ministries, department and Agencies (MDAs) and negligence of repair and maintenance of port roads by the government.
According to fact based feedback study on maritime ports carried out by LCCI in collaboration with OPS and Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the President, LCCI, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, while addressing journalists said that the research noticed a worrisome level of deliberate resistance by some of MDAs to implement/enforce enabling regulations including the 2017 presidential executive orders relating to the ports.
Furthermore, he stated that fights for supremacy, conflict of interest among the MDAs and revenue ambitions that conflict with trade facilitation objectives among the MDAs are common issues.
On the container truck accident, he cited the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) 2017 report, which stated that 1,000 people were killed in 308 container truck related accidents in 2017 alone.
“Feedback from stakeholders confirms that bad port access roads account for 90 per cent of accidents that cause damage to fragile imported items leading to significant losses in addition, there are painful reports of loss/damage of perishable agricultural export due to extended time spent by the trucks before getting to the ports or the poor condition of warehouses at the ports,” he said.
Ruwase, who cited other findings of the study, said the economy is currently losing about N600 billion in customs revenue, N2.5trillion corporate earnings across the sector on an annual basis.
Outlining some of the suggestion for reforms and policy actions from the reports, he stated that there should be implementation of the use of Single Window Platform by the relevant MDAs, enforce presidential executive order.
The report also suggested the reduction of the number of MDAs and security formations at the ports, adding that the number of government agencies /departments at the ports is now 12 and need to be reduced to eight in line with presidential order and
best international port practice.
On ports outside Lagos, it suggested that government should pay attention to other ports outside Lagos, adding that the concession of Onitsha seaport should be finalised, the security situation along and within the Warri port in order and should be improved.
On bad roads and infrastructure, the report suggests a truck park and call-up system. The LCCI president pointed out that the Tin Can Port has been abandoned for some time now and should be revived, saying there is need to commence the use of Orile Truck park for truck call-up system. “In the meantime, we call for the removal of all impediments and obstruction on the existing port rail line including the tank farms. The tank farm would not be in existence if the pipelines were effective; they are flourishing on the ineffectiveness of the pipelines,” he said.