By Stephen
Dijo Philemon
Maritime
journalists have been urged to lay more emphasis on local production, and set
agenda for capacity of Nigerian Producers to discourage preference for foreign goods;
this will boost production and consumption of homemade goods.
This
call was made by the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs, Colonel Hammed
Ibrahim Ali (RTD) at the three day maiden retreat of Association of Maritime Journalist
of Nigeria, AMJON recently at the Administrative Staff College Topo Badagry,
Lagos State.
The
customs boss who was represented by the service Public Relation Officer, Deputy
Comptroller Wale Adeniyi said this became necessary considering the havoc
Nigerians penchant for consumption of foreign goods has wrecked on the nation’s
economy.
Reeling
out the services activities as an agent of economic growth, the Customs boss
said the service is not relenting in its beat to be a step ahead of smugglers
who are enemies of nation’s economic growth.
The dream of economic growth is
the heart beat of the organization, this is why the service has intensified
efforts in its anti – smuggling campaign aims at sustaining increase production
of goods and service locally over a
period of time to improve the welfare of the citizens.
The C.G said is
traditionally measured in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) when one
considers this against the backdrop of NCS acclaimed function of revenue
generation, trade facilitation and citizen’s protection; this proves that the
service is a critic agent of economic growth.
The
CG believes that when economy is growing, key features will be increased in
GDP; the employment rate, provision of basic infrastructures and social
services. The core of function of services is linked to these features for
instance, the service total revenue collection for Federation, non-federation account from 2014
to 2016 stood at N2,528,466,964,156.74 this
goes into government coffers.
A significant part of this became monthly
allocations to the three tier of governments Federal, state local governments
to execute projects to stimulate economy, provision of infrastructure and
social services.
This
is why the service does not relent on it anti – smuggling activities as its
commitment to protect Nigeria products.
For
instance, between 2014 and 2016 the duty paid value (DPV) on goods seized by
customs stood at N22, 274,606,826.9. The
huge seizure if allowed to entire the Nigeria market, one can imagine the toll
it would have taken on local products.
Besides
going a whole hug to tame smugglers, the services according to the CG has also
undertaken other measures of activities and projects aimed at facilitating trade
and stimulate growth. These are, launch of the Pre – Arrival Assessment.
Report
PAAR which is an application tool for fast clearance of imports, the
development of word class trade Hub, the www.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng to provide
round the clock online information about Nigeria trade, the use of fast track
concession for traders to promote compliant importers among others and the
structure of the common external tariff (CET).
This structure serves as a
protectionist instrument for the local economy while the service plays down on
raw materials and machineries which are primary products required as inputs for
local manufacturing industries. Finished products are clamped down with high
rates of duty and additional levies with a long list items under import
prohibition to stimulate local production.
Despite
visible achievements recorded so far, the service, according to Comptroller
General, does not rest on its oar, it continually churns out policy that will
make Nigeria occupy her prime place in the sub-regional economy.
Another
excellent policy put in place to encourage sub - regional trade is ECOWAS Trade
Liberalization scheme ETLS. This policy ensures that good produced within the community
are granted free market access in the region and Nigeria products are enjoying
maximum advantage of it; keeping jobs in Nigeria and earning forex from their exports.
In the past three years CIF value of exports from Nigeria under the scheme
stood at N233,642,521,641,
while total
imports from the 14 other member countries is N360,714,779,595. This with major
traded community manufactured in Nigeria for ECOWAS markets are cigarette,
Cocoa paste and Beans, Sesame oil, Milk and Milk Powder, footwear, Cashew nuts,
Seafoods, Floating or sub- mersible drilling services.
While
customs service is continually exploring avenue to better the lot of Nigeria
trade facilitation, the customs boss believes we need a re-think in our economic
development. Nigeria must look beyond oil and diversify as the future of
Nigeria economy could only be sustained on the basis of in-ward looking and be self-reliance.
We should go back to farm.
The orientation that only imported goods is fit for
consumption is erroneous. Nigerians should free themselves from the entanglement
unscrupulous Nigeria importers who have put us in the web of deceit that the
food items is only good enough when it is imported. Let Nigerians demystify
this, the nations has verse arable land for food production.
Several
initiatives, the CG said, have been made
by Buhari administration and has a political will to revolutionize agriculture
as farming will engage over 70% unemployed teaming youth population and increase
the GDP. States like Ebonyi, Kebbi and Lagos have taken a bold step in local
production, other states should follow suit. Effort should be tailored towards
addressing challenges faced by our local farmers.
This will prepare us to chart
a new course for nation’s economic growth. Especially now that numerous export
promotion incentives explored over a decade have failed to produce a desire
results.
Moreover, the Customs boss said, there has been
several abuse from both the beneficiaries of the export promotion and
implementing agencies.
Thus, a fundamental review, if not total overhaul of the
policies is required if Nigeria is to achieve a desired objective of making its
exports a competitive in the global market.
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