Cletus Akwaya
10 May 2004
Abuja — Minister of State, Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman, said the that there is no going back on Federal Government's plan to return to destination inspection for goods being imported into the country. Speaking in Abuja at the weekend, Usman noted that the pre-shipment of goods currently in place was a rip-off on the country.
In an exclusive interview with THISDAY the Minister pointed out that those in support of pre-shipment inspection of goods were benefiting from the system at the expense of the Nigeria Customs Service, whose duty it was to inspect all goods coming into the country.
"We know that pre-shipment inspection is being done at the expense of the Nigerian Customs Service because it's like robbing them of their professionalism and work," she stated.
She said Government had no doubt whatsoever that the new system will work because of the new team at the helm of affairs in the Customs.
"I believe destination inspection will work. I would like to see destination inspection because it's a new Customs that is cleaned up," Usman told THISDAY even as she regretted that the huge amount of money paid to pre-shipment agents should have been used to further professionalise the Customs.
On the current restructuring of the Service, the Minister hinted that some Area offices may have to be scrapped since it would be unwise to keep and maintain offices that were contributing very little to the revenue profile of the outfit.
"When we took up the job, I realised that there are some states that don't generate up to N100,000 a year but they had a full fledge Command with all the compliments of office and government was paying them and they were generating little or nothing.
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