The umbrella body of major market associations in Lagos, Ndigboamaka Progressive (Traders) Association has called on the federal government to hasten the customs modernization exercise popularly known as e-customs so as to facilitate trade.
The Secretary General of the association, Hon. Chinedu Ukatu who made this call in a press conference in Lagos on Monday noted that when completed, the exercise would help the a lot to carry on their businesses.
Ukatu however urged the media to assist themin the advocacy for customs modernization by mounting pressure on the federal government to hasten the process.
According to him, “I learnt some time ago that the Nigeria Customs Service is working on e-modernization, if it is going to be practiced; it is going to help us a lot. The essence of saying this is to plead with the gentlemen of the press to help us in this advocacy by mounting pressures on the government to fasten the process.
“I want to even say again that if the e-modernization that they are going to do is the type that if I want to bring in my goods, automatically, the thing will show and I know what I should pay, not like PAAR. I remember some time in 2012, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, we labored and drive to sensitize our members, at the end of it all, all of us know what happened. It has been jettisoned.
“And let them be holistic about the whole thing, at least, let adapt to the international best practices whereby when you are trying to buy something, you already know what you are going to pay, you already know your landing cost, you already know everything and by the time you are coming back, you calculate so that all these things will help in trade facilitation and it is going to help us a lot when we are talking about the others.
“The only thing I want to plead with you people is to put more pressure on government for it to fasten the process of e-modernization.”
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