Maritime: Speaker Abbas decries bottlenecks in Nigeria’s import, export chain

By Msugh Ityokura

The Speaker, House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas has lamented the bottlenecks in the import and export chain in the maritime sector, calling for deliberate measures to address the menace

He spoke while addressing a delegation of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in his office Wednesday, where he regretted that the country is losing huge revenue to the neighbouring West-African countries due to administrative issues at the borders.

The speaker assured PEBEC that the House will attend to the reforms sought by the council, especially regarding the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) Act enforcement and the fate of investors at the Free Trade Zones under the Tax Reform Bills.

“I feel really sad that we in Nigeria, in some areas, are doing things differently. Even from our neighbours here in West Africa, I hear complaints about customs bureaucracy, clearance… I hear about the shipping industry, ports regulatory authorities… all these are taking so long to provide… and the costs of even bringing in products to Nigeria – in some instances doubling what they collect (as duty) in our neighbouring countries.

“I think those are serious and major areas that your agency (PEBEC) needs to actually pay attention to. There is so much you can do by looking at our regulatory bodies, particularly those that are responsible for international businesses and trade, and see what you can do to make the Nigerian environment more competitive.”

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Abbas raised the alarm of reports that countries are avoiding shipment to Nigeria, noting that some reports say over 75 percent of imported goods offloaded in Benin Republic are actually meant for Nigerian destinations.

Recalling his recent visit to Morocco, where officials of the North African country criticized the bureaucracy and delay in the import and export chain between Nigeria and Morocco, the speaker said the shipping system will be a win-win for the Nigerian Government and foreign investors

He assured that the House would look at the issues raised by PEBEC and will take action immediately

The Director-General of PEBEC, Zara Mustapha Audu, said the visit to the Speaker was on behalf of the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who is the chairman of PEBEC.

She noted that PEBEC supervises 69 MDAs with mandates relating to the economy.

While she presented a letter from the Office of the Vice-President to the Speaker, Audu sought legislative intervention of the House regarding the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), saying there have been pushbacks in the economic environment over implementation of the new FRCN Act.

She particularly noted a stand-off between the FRCN and operators in the private sector.