The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has called on the Federal Ministries of Finance, Transportation, Trade and Investment as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) among others to see the freight forwarders as professionals deserving of state support, not only as potential tax payers as the likely quake or collapse of the sector will adversely affect the country.
The National President of ANLCA, Chief Iju Tony Nwabunike who made this call in his goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary in Lagos on Thursday stated that the freight forwarders had heard and seen the federal government interventions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry (BoI) to private sector businesses improving on their viability and sustainability adding that no such programme had been designed for them in the freight forwarding and logistics sector of the economy.
Nwabunike noted that aside not getting any form of palliative from government, there was no offer of single digit loan by government tailored towards their needs in procuring trucks, maintaining warehouses, investing in logistics aided technology like tracking devises and fleet of motorcycles for e-commerce transactions in a state of difficult traffic situation as what they experience in Lagos.
In his words, “We call on the Federal Ministries of Finance, Transport, Trade and Industry, CBN, NCS and others to see us as professionals deserving of state support, not only as potential tax payers because the likely quake or collapse of our sector will adversely affect the country.”
On the part of the freight forwarders, he reminded them that it had become imperative for them to reflect on the many untapped potentials they have as a country, as professionals and as business men as they join in celebrating Nigeria at 60.
“These reflections should be geared towards making us contribute more in making Nigeria greater, united and more prosperous. Our professional calling as logistics experts playing critical roles in e-commerce now requires us to think beyond clearing cargoes from the ports and be the chain linking people and business together.
“ANLCA’s age is 66 (established 1954) , Nigeria is 60. We shouldn’t just be glorying in old age without commensurate maturity to match our many years of existence as a body of great professionals. We must not derail in our drive for success. We should continually see ourselves as part of the move to diversify Africa’s largest economy from a totally oil dependent country to a viable country making sustainable revenue from non-oil sector.
“Our roles in the import, export and supply chain management has made us critical contributors to government revenue drive of attaining over N4 trillion by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and supporting the Nigeria Customs Service in sustaining it’s N1trillion yearly collection.
“Our sector holds the capacity for 50,000 direct and ancillary employments from the ports, airports, border stations, delivery chain linking warehouses and market, if properly harnessed.
While I call on our members and professionals in our line of business to keep up their patriotic acts of engaging only in legitimate deals and prompt payment of taxes to government, it also rests on the Nigerian State to give us support”, he said.
The ANLCA boss however assured that ANLCA under his watch would open talks with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to see how the sub sector could be integrated into government interventionist financial programmes and support initiatives.
“We are a great country with very copious potentials to be greater. This 60th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence should spur us into more positive actions for greater good of larger number of our fellow compatriots.
“Let us join hands in ensuring that the labour of our past heroes in bringing us together doesn’t go in vain.
“Happy Independent Anniversary”, he concluded.
Photo: ANLCA National President, Chief Tony Iju Nwabunike.
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