The Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Fred Ajuzie has said that the recent gains made by the nation’s currency, the Naira against the major currencies of the world particularly the United States Dollar has not reflected in the exchange rate for the calculation of the customs duty at the nation’s seaport, airport and land borders.
Ajuzie who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos said that although the rate of exchange of Naira against the US dollar fluctuates in both the official and parallel markets, the rate of exchange for the calculation of customs duty remained unchanged adding that it is only when the rate is adjusted downwards that the importers and their agents would appreciate the current gains being made by Naira against the dollar.
He added that business at the nation’s seaports had been so bad in the last three months saying that the exchange rate had not been very friendly as it was fluctuating which in turn affect a lot of things in terms of maritime business.
“At the same time, we are still managing but the customs revenue is now dwindling because of the rate of exchange thereby affecting their monthly revenue target. The cargo throughput is very low, generally, as a businessman within the industry; the business has been so bad. Definitely, every businessman is trained in a manner that he can withstand any prevailing situation. So, if you are a businessman, you don’t expect bumper business every time, sometimes it fluctuates, so, you have to plan ahead. It has not been easy; you can be doing well, what about your brothers who are not doing well?
“So, the thing is affecting you too because they are all relying on you and you are not getting much as you were getting before. Invariably, it is not an easy thing since the inception of the recession”, he said.
On government’s effort to assist the freight forwarders to survive the current trend, the NAGAFF chieftain had this to say, “Before the end of the last quarter, you discovered that the Customs CG visited the major stakeholders and the visit is about knowing how we are faring in the business. This is one of the areas that I am looking at that the government is concerned about the way business is run at the ports. That was one of the reasons the CGC visited. We talked to him and let him understand the situation so that he can pass the message to the President on what is happening in this sector. I think the government is doing something towards that”.
When reminded that there was never any interaction between the Comptroller-General of Customs as against his position especially during the visit of the CGC to the NAGAFF headquarters in Lagos, Ajuzie argued that, “there was an interaction, the only thing is that we didn’t want that funfair interaction, that is making it open. All the interactions were written down in a book and handed over to the CGC to study so that he will come out with something better because we are directly concerned about how to raise revenue. Revenue concerns every Nigerian and we are the ones dealing with the customs directly, therefore, we made an input which he will look into and know how he would go about it. There was lot of interactions but interactions were not a verbal one”.
He however applauded the CGC’s disclosure that the bulk of the 2017 budget of the Service would go to training and re-training of customs officers and licensed customs agents saying that the development would enhance the performance of both the freight forwarders and customs officers.
“Some of the officers too were not equipped with the trends of today because some of them are old fashioned. You must agree with me that officers that have spent 30 years and above in the service has lost touch of the current realities except for the young ones among them. The same thing is applicable to the stakeholders. So, training is key”, he explained.
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