From Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja
Hard times await Nigerians in the days ahead importers of goods may pay more to clear their goods, following the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) decision to raise its duty rate to N286 from N197 earlier.
This was coming as the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), last month denied fixing the new rate at N285 to the dollar.
In a statement then, Adeniyi said there were misleading publications in some online platforms about new duty rate. Reacting to the development, the founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said that actually importers and freight forwarders were in for trouble.
According to him, imported goods would cost more than before, adding that his organisation would soon react on the issue. He lamented that since the appointment of the new Comptroller General of Customs, he has been far away from maritime operators, which is not the best. “If he had been close and not distanced himself from the people, he would have been able to understand what their problems at the ports are.”
However, he did not entirely blame President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Ali but explained it could have been better if he had appointed a retired Customs officer who is familiar with Customs proceedings and given him mandate.
“You know, before the appointment of Ali, about five Deputy Comptrollers General were jostling for the post, which was why Buhari brought an outsider for Customs. But he should have brought an experienced Customs officer,” he said.