The President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agent (NCMDLCA), Lucky Eyis Amiwero has called on the federal government to make clear clarification on the recently announced duty waiver on food importation.
He made the appeal in a letter to the President Bola Tinubu where he recalled that a circular which contains the matter in question was submitted on 1st May 2024 and has not been signed.
He affirmed that as a critical stakeholder who is involved in the clearance of Import-Export and Manufactured goods, he noticed that three months and some days after the presidential directive no explanatory circular has been issued for the implementation of the reliefs.
According to him, the tariff suspension on import duty and other tariffs on staple food items, raw materials and other direct inputs used for manufacturing, Inputs for agriculture production including fertilizers, seedlings, and chemicals, Pharmaceutical products, Poultry feeds, flours and grains are not properly identified and it will be a barrier in the clearance of the relief measures.
The NCMDLCA President noted that the authorized millers are to Import paddy rice at Zero duty and Value Added Tax(VAT) for a period of six months, to improve local capacity utilization of rice millers and it should be properly clarified to the trading public, with the proper Tariff Heading.
He stated that the VAT should be suspended for the rest of the year as contained in the circular.
According to him “Basic food items and semi-processed, staple food items such as noodles and pasta , if it has been lifted from prohibition list”
“Raw materials inputs for the manufacturing of food items, electricity and public transportation, to properly classify and apply the correct Tariff Heading”
“Agricultural inputs and produce, clearly state the type of Agricultural inputs and produce according to Tariff Headings”
“Pharmaceutical products, if it has been lifted from prohibition list and the proper Tariff Headings”
He added that the exchange rate import duty rebate eight hundred Naira (800.00) to one American dollar(US$1) should be implemented to stabilize the domestic Market that has been adversely affected.
He also sought that the Nigeria Customs Service should ensure fast-tracking the clearance of Agricultural equipment and food items, manufacturing inputs and pharmaceutical products at the Ports and aim at a minimum time reduction of at least fifty 50% .
To allow seamless and transparent implementation of the relief measures, he urged the Minister of Finance to make the order effective.
“We hereby request for the implementation guideline to be issued to address the gaps, with regards to the presidential directive on the laps on date, which is almost four months without implementation, the proper Tariff Heading, the specific items on relief and the proper date of commencement in a circular to the trading public” he wrote.
