As part of efforts to foster engagements with port stakeholders for enhanced trade facilitation, the Customs Area Comptroller, Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, paid a courtesy visit to the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) in Lagos, on Monday.
The Chairman, CCC, Aare Hakeem Olarenwaju and the Secretary, CCC, Fwdr Eugene Nweke, played host to Comptroller Dera Nnadi, at the Committee’s Apapa office and drew the attention of the Area Controller to the wider negative impact of the unstable foreign exchange regime on trade generally.
Olarenwaju also used the opportunity to enlighten the Comptroller on the workings of the CCC while soliciting for broader areas of strategic consultations in order to address operational bottlenecks at the ports.
The Chairman highlighted noticeable red tapes in the supply chain and recommended eradication of such. He made recommendations for achieving policy goals of the Command in particular and the management of NCS in general.
In his response, the visiting Comptroller reiterated that his courtesy visit is informed by his belief that responsible partnerships and collaborations are incomplete without strategic mobilization and alliances, hence his visit to the CCC.
Insisting that the annual revenue target of the Customs requires deliberate cooperation and the support of stakeholders, especially the trading public, he called for the support of CCC in achieving this for TCIP Command.
He commended the CCC for their support to TCIP Command in 2023 while informing that, the management of the Command is committed to the implementation of the key resolutions reached at the recent stakeholders meeting held during the Comptroller General of Customs conference 2023, adding that the management would not leave any stone unturned in pursuance to its trade compliance and facilitation quest.
Meanwhile, he called on the trading public to increase compliance in their trade transactions and requisite trade related applications via prompt documentation and honest declaration.
He noted that going forward compliance traders will be rewarded with prompt service delivery, while sanctions on trade irregularities and breaches will be meted to the defaulting trading public (importer /exporter and their representative) as provided in the new Nigeria Customs Act 2023.
He observed that officers caught in the line of duty other than spotting and tackling trade infractions will be punished accordingly to achieve holistic and meaningful compliance.
Nnadi, however, reiterated that at no time did the Service set nor increased any benchmark other than, the reality of the foreign exchange rate regime, insisting that, once, the exchange rate drops, the payable surface Customs duty will as well drop.
The CCC Chairman reassured the visiting Comptroller of the committee’s cooperations and support towards meeting set goals, especially the Command revenue target, and presented the CCC handbook to him.
