The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declining the Customs and Excise Management Act bill.
Its acting National President, Dr. Kayode Farinto, said on Friday in Lagos that the bill negated some existing laws.
According to Farinto, Section 7 of the bill negates the right of any Nigerian to take the Nigeria Customs Service to court.
He said: “One must seek clearance or notify them before you take them to court.
“This is what the president rejected and it’s a welcome development.
“On the issue of Authorised Economic Operator, we have not started it yet.
“They already laid public might on this process, which would have assisted in the industry to move our economy forward.
“This must be reviewed.
“Protection of intellectual property.
“We have an act already supervising this so the people that actually brought this CEMA bill forgot that the protection of intellectual property is an act itself.
“If the president is signing this bill into law, it will be flouting or conflicting with this act.”
Farinto pointed out that these and many others were the reason the president did not sign the bill into law to avoid conflict of interests.
The ANLCA boss said on the export processing zone, where incentives were given to Nigerian importers and exporters, the bill, if signed into law, would mean that the NCS would start collecting tariffs or levies on exports.
Farinto said the rejection of the CEMA bill was an opportunity for the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria to make inputs into it, particularly having a representative on the NCS board.
He said: “There are little anomalies, which the council looked into.
“However, our association has made this projection known during our public hearing.
“That a freight forwarder must be represented on the board of NCS.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that on October 12, 2022, President Muhammqdu Buhari returned the Customs and Excise Management Act Amendment Bill to the National Assembly after refusing to sign it into law.
The President raised observations on about 24 clauses and schedules in the bill as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
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