… Says days of corruption at Ports are over.
The Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has said that operators involved in sharp practices will get five year jail term if caught cutting corners adding that days of corruption are gone in customs formalities.
Ali who gave the warning yesterday at a familiarization stakeholders’ meeting held at Apapa Lagos also stressed the need for freight agents to shun corruption and follow the rules of engagement.
According to him, any agents caught in the act of corruption through under devaluation, under declaration and bribery amongst others would result to complexity in the clearing process and procedure, adding that, “as good citizens of the country there is need to follow the rules”.
He stated that in order to facilitate trade and exit cargoes in the shortest possible time, capacities of especially practitioners had to be built, as well as raise the trade policies compliance level of importers, agents and other critical stakeholders.
The CGC said nobody, henceforth, would be asking anyone for a penny anymore, in the course of delivering cargo, while expecting the right things to be done ordering that reports of such demands should be made to his office through text messages to a yet to be announced dedicated lines and by emails to cgc@customs.gov.ng and complaints@customs.gov.ng, for appropriate actions to be taken
He noted that his appointment as CGC by President Muhammadu Buhari was to bring about reforms, restructuring and revenue generation for the country.
“There are set down parameters that we operate upon which we take on and there are laws in the country that are put together for us to operate as a person and there are laws that govern you on how you operate”, he said.
Ali added that the existing laws by the customs must survive adding that the extant laws must be followed by operators and customs officers respectively.
The retired Colonel however underscore the need for freight agents to understand what it takes to do business in the ports and land borders stating that agents were key stakeholders to customs operations even as he noted that both agents and customs had a responsibility to discharge.
“I want to go to one point and that is you as stakeholders, we have discovered that some of you cut corners and whatever reasons maybe personal reasons and we being in this business should ensure that the right duty is paid”.
“Let me say here that without you a lot of things may not have happened and without us a lot of things wouldn’t have happened and it then means that it’s a balancing equation”.
“When I came in I have a mandate and that mandate is very clear and I have made it known to the customs service which include reforms, restructure and increase revenue generation”, he declared.
Ali further stressed that, ” I am a stickler on the execution of the law and that is my background and I know what it is to enforce laws. I know what it is for people to run away from the laws, so, I am not a stranger to that but that is not what I want here because we are responsible citizens”.
The CGC however extended his hand of cooperation to all stakeholders to support him in achieving, especially the expected revenue increase, while the reform and restructure aspect will be handled within the Nigeria Customs Service.
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