The Global Alliance organises conference on trade facilitation in Lagos

— Comptroller Dr. (Mrs) Jayne Shoboiki urges Customs Brokers to be compliant as customs would not compromise if anyone is caught defrauding the system

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]lobal Alliance for Trade Facilitation has called for implementation of trade reforms to enhance international trade. A conference organized by the organisation recently in Radisson Blu Hotel, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos brought together stakeholders and MDA’s involved in cargo clearance in the ports and border stations, to brainstorm on the challenges hindering the actualization of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Nigeria.
The Global Alliance for the Trade facilitation is a public – private partnership (PPP) dedicated to the international Trade facilitation, jointly led by the International Chambers of commerce, the World Economic Forum (WEF), Center for international private Enterprise, cooperating with G12 – The German implementing partner.
Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation believes that international Trade should be simpler, faster and more cost-effective, thereby creating new business opportunities, enabling greater economic and social developments and, reducing poverty.
Global Alliance for trade Facilitation is redefining the way trade facilitation reforms are implemented by working with governments and business vertically and horizontally. Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is a binding multilateral trade agreement between members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Countries that signed up committing to tackling the barriers to trade, posed by burdensome border requirements, which makes it harder for businesses of all sizes to trade internationally, but hurt small and medium-sized enterprise the most.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), represented by the Director of Trade – Alhaji Abubakar said that a lot of work has been done in the implementation of the TFA in Nigeria, despite the awesome challenges of infrastructure and capacity building.
A committee (National Trade Facilitation Committee – NTFC) charged with the sensitization of the public and implementation of the various articles has about twenty-three members spread across all sectors. The committee is still working with various government Agencies to firm up collaboration in the implementation of especially Article 7 of the TFA.

A presentation by the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) – Dr. Ken Ukaoha, Esq set the tone for discussions in the day’s business.
His presentation, as expected, touched on several aspects, especially the legal auditing of National laws which are adversely affecting the understanding and cooperation, required of stakeholders – like the trading publics.
Lots of questions and issues were thrown up for further discussion, as blames for non-reformation of especially the border posts, were heaped on the Government. The harmonization of documentations on the movement of cargoes/along West African coast/corridor, makes trading hectic, despite losses of investments.
Other stakeholders present were the LCCI – represented by the President, FIRS represented by Mrs Amah, NDLEA, Nigeria shippers’ council was represented by Alhaji M.D. Abubakar and Mrs Adaora Nwonu.
Another major stakeholder – Nigeria Customs services was represented by a high powered delegation led by Acting DCG – Umar Sanusi (of the HRD-Abuja) with Comptroller Dr. Mrs. Jane Shoboiki, CAC, Muritala Mohammed International Airport command and D/C Bello from the Customs headquarters in Abuja.
Acting DCG Sanusi was down to earth in his presentation, as he alluded to the fact that the peculiarity of the Nigerian Trading/business environment which has defied several of the articles and categories of the TFA, has made it impossible for the implementation of the TFA in Nigeria.
However, in the circumstance he said, Nigeria Customs Service has continuously strived to reform the mentality of officers and men in skills required to sustain and improve their services on the job.
Ag. DCG Umar Sanusi, who has always referred to Customs Brokers as their “friendly enemies”, urged them to also build their capacity in order to complement their efforts at reforming the customs cargo clearance processes.

He informed that the Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller General – Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) has directed that before October 2019, all Customs officers must be trained in skills required to function effectively at their duty post, otherwise, they may be shown the way out of the service.
The DCG in charge of Human Resource Department stated that it is unfortunate that out of the numerous security and Government agencies operating in the ports system, it is only Nigeria Customs that has been singled out for condemnation. He said that efforts are afoot to ensure that several innovative reforms are underway to remove the tag off Nigeria Customs.

Compt.Dr (Mrs) Jane Shoboiki, Area Controller,Muritala Mohammed International Airport customs command who is a leader that matches words with actions; a no nonsense woman who is one of the few officers that have served round trip the most successful commands in Nigeria enumerated the documentations and processes expected to be concluded before the arrival of cargoes but, according to her, Customs brokers delay in processing documents until arrival of cargo and they then mount unnecessary pressure on officers. She warned that with the recent circular which seeks to harmonize all entities on the Bill of lading, invoices, and the PAAR, a lot of the discrepancies in cargo clearance would have been removed. She also urged Customs Brokers to be compliant, as officers may decline request bordering on infringement on compliance to extant trade rules.

The Global Alliance for trade facilitation has engaged several Governments around the world in reforming their trade processes like Vietnam, Ghana, Colombia, Kenya, Morocco, Sri-Lanka, etc. In Nigeria, GATF requested participants to come up with solutions to the identified challenges in the cargo clearance processes, in order to facilitate trade across international borders. With that, GATF hopes to package a proposal to the Government, urging implementation, as a signatory to the WTO-TFA.
However, most participants observed that the issue has been variously discussed in the past, without any political will to implement the decisions/proposals put forward, and doing so now, despite the infrastructural deficit in the country, is like motion without movement.