Proposed Customs bill archaic, not in consonance with what Nigerians need- Ex-Controller

A retired Comptroller of Customs, Olu Ogunojemite has joined other industry stakeholders to oppose the proposed Customs and Excise Management Amendment bill, saying that it negates all known international trade conventions.

Industry stakeholders have all faulted the law, saying several provisions in it were draconian and against global best practices.

Speaking in a chat with Maritime Today Online, Ogunojemite said several provisions in the amendment bill are archaic as it does not address modern Customs operations.

Ogunojemite blamed Customs for not playing its proper role in the proposed law as he noted the Finance Ministry and the NCS ought to have taken the ‘lead in putting the law together.”

“The totality of that law is not in consonance with what Nigerians need now. What they have just done is to go to CEMA of 1958 and begin to copy things and try to modernise it. There is a procedure and Customs law is based on the procedure that Customs is operating.

“Most of the things in the amendment bill are just archaic because it does not address the modern Customs. The amendment is going nowhere. It has no meaning. It cannot be operated even if it is passed or is it not Customs that will operate it?

“The CEMA is long overdue to be changed but I think it is the Customs that is not playing its proper role. The Finance Ministry should come up with an Executive Bill to the Assembly called the Customs and Excise Management Act or Customs Service Management Act to replace the CEMA. It will be essentially to put Customs in the right perspective.

“Customs and the Finance Ministry should take a lead in writing this law. Customs can then bring other parties to contribute,” he said.

Ogunojemite also kicked against move by the government to strip Customs of its responsibility of revenue collection wondering how the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will collect import duty when it is yet to successfully carry out its responsibility of VAT collection.

“Who is collecting VAT on behalf of FIRS on import and export? FIRS cannot even collect their VAT yet they want to ask them to collect import duty? We are joker in this country,” he said.

Speaking on the controversial e-Customs project, Ogunojemite insisted that the engagement of a third party to develop technology for Customs was only an attempt by some individuals to siphon government’s revenue into private pockets as he noted the Service had recorded significant improvement in automating its processes.

According to him, the NCS should focus on developing the Single Window platform rather than the e-Customs project.

He said, “What e-Customs mean is that you can get into Customs electronically whether you are a private person or a government agency and you get your consignment released at one stop. Customs already has e-Customs since ASYCUDA 2.7 and they have improved on it tremendously. I don’t know what they are looking for now. What they should be talking about is single window not e-Customs. What do they want to achieve with e-customs that Customs is not already doing if it is not to steal the money.”