HUNGER PROTEST: ANLCA Sets 3-Point Agenda for President Tinubu, Seeks Removal of Levy on Tokunbo Vehicles

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has said that considering the state of the nation, vis-a-vis, the hunger in the land which is caused by hyper inflation, there is need for President Bola Tinubu to consider removal of import duty on specific food items, and removal of levy on imported used vehicles. The association called on President Tinubu for implementation of a 3-point agenda in order to ameliorate suffering of the masses.

Vice President of ANLCA, Prince Segun Oduntan speaks to our correspondent, DAPO OLAWUNI on the state of the nation, even as he emphasized that the association is not in support of any protest.

QUESTION: Good morning sir, there is an impending nationwide protest coming up 1st of August, is ANLCA in support?

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is not in support of any violent protest that would bring anarchy into the country. For those who want to go on their protest, they should let it be peaceful, we as ANLCA are not part of any protest
However, from our professional side, we want to let the government know that things are not going well and we want to present three point agenda to President Bola Tinubu.
The first is the instability in the foreign exchange for cargo importation which has affected our business, we have made noise about it severally, we made several presentations to different hierarchy if government, we argued that government should create a window of certain period, let’s say three months, and benchmark the foreign exchange at a particular amount, so that importers can plan their importation while opening their Form M.
The fluctuating exchange rate is the major cause of the inflation in the market which has led to the hardship Nigerians are going through today, importers cannot plan their importation and the blame goes to the government.
If this can be handled, the inflation in the country would be reduced, there is no economy of any country will survive with instability of foreign exchange.

Second agenda is the waiver of import duty on specific food items, especially staple foods. Although we are hearing in the media that government has signed removal of duty on some food items, however, we want them come out in clear terms, because currently, if you go to the customs, they would tell you that there is no circular to that effect, there is no documented directive from the Federal Government for them to implement. Government pronouncements are not implemented without a hardcopy circular to the implanting agencies.
The Federal Ministry of Finance should do the needful by directing customs to implement the waiver of import duties on food items and we want it in hardcopy.
The third point agenda is the removal of Levy and import duty on used vehicles (Tokunbo)
The Levy being collected on imported used vehicles should be removed so that people can at least move their farm products and buy food at cheaper rates. This would further boost agriculture in the country.

QUESTION: Dont you think that importers would take advantage of this and flood Nigeria with used vehicles?

Not at all. We are talking about imported used vehicles, the government can decide to adjust the age limit of the vehicles and decide to remove Levy on certain years of vehicles, it has been done before for the manufacturers.

QUESTION: There is a concern that if government removes duty on specific food items, the Naira has been devalued, so importing from neighboring ports is no longer attractive

I believe it would have a far reaching impact. We are talking about staple food items, not all food items, it could be for specific period of time, just to cushion the effect of the hunger in the land.
For example, the lack of employment into some of these government security and Paramilitary agencies is what is affecting the agencies today. The window of importation of the specific food items we are talking about is not going to be permanent, it is for a specific period.
We are talking about a situation akin to a force majure, people are hungry in the land, and you have to treat them of that hunger.

QUESTION: On the impending nationwide protest, the Apapa Customs Command has said its operations would go on unhindered, are your members encouraged to go to the port during protest?

We don’t need to visit the port before carrying out our work, I can pay my customs duty from the corridors of my home, I can do majority of my transactions including payment of shipping companies and terminal operators online, right from my house. If you don’t have any business to do at the port, there is no point coming to the port to loiter around, however, if you have a job to do, you can go about your job.
However, you and I know that the banks who are the major player in duty collection would not be open from tomorrow.
The cargo haulage is the only challenge at this time because this has to do with movement by road.

We are appealing to President Tinubu to call stakeholders from different spheres of the economy, he should have a roundtable meeting with them and set up a committee. There is a lot of government appointees in this present government who do not know their job, they are not informing the President correctly, they are not round pegs, everyone is doing eye-service to the President, meanwhile they do not know their job.
It is high time Mr President look inwards and carryout a review, let there be interaction with the stakeholders in order to get firsthand information and be able to treat the situation. The President is doing his best, he has proven himself to be a listening President, if there is any development in the country, within 24hours, you will see his reaction, but there is a lot of appointees in his government who are not performing and are not supposed to be there.
There is need for the government to look at what the maritime sector is generating into the nation economy.
The customs service today is taking Trillions from various port commands, but who are the people running around to generate these monies? It is we the foremost licensed agents, yet when the government is setting up any committee, they don’t including us there, and you think we are happy.
The Ease of Doing Business Committee, ANLCA was formerly represented on that seat by our current national President who was the Vice president then, but this is no longer the same, everything has been rubbished. Even the bankers do recognise their depositors and they sometimes give them awards, but we as Licensed Customs Agents do not get any encouragement from the customs service and you expect us to continue to generate this monies.