Leadership (Abuja)
10 November 2007
Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, has called for a review of the legislation on the operation of the Calabar Free Trade Zone, Calabar Free Port and TINAPA Business Resort for the realisation of their economic benefits to Nigerians.
While receiving members of the Presidential Committee on Waivers, Concessions and Incentives led by Senator Udoma Udo Udoma on courtesy call in Calabar, Imoke noted that lack of proper legislations and gazette on the operations of the different zones located in Calabar, has crippled their operations and created conflict of interest between the supervisory ministries.
According to Imoke, Calabar Free Trade Zone, had been moribund since inception until 1999 when government introduced an aggressive drive to make it what it should be, saying that their legislation should be reviewed to make them realisable because current federal government policies are crippling those zones.
Imoke stated that the laws establishing the zones are outdated and as such, have created conflict between the offices of the ministers of Commerce and that of Finance as its processes are cumbersome. The status of the Calabar Port as a Free Port is not recognised by the Customs, saying that an earlier status given to the port to handle the importation of second hand vehicles and pharmaceuticals into the country, has not been honoured as Cotonou Port in Benin Republic is being serviced by Nigerians because of the concessions created by the government there.
On TINAPA, Imoke said it was given Free Trade Zone status but its policy and control falls exclusively on the federal government with the state at its mercy, adding that the challenge is that it can not be opened because the state does not know how it can operate as a free trade zone as investors want to know Customs, Immigration and Inland Revenue policies.
The governor called for operational manuals and documents from the federal government to give investors ideas on how their goods can come in because without it, no investor would do business there, noting that any closure of shops by the Customs was capable of sending the wrong signals to would be tenants.
He called for a dialogue among federal agencies to allow investors operate until a proper legislation is put in place as the accrued benefits are mellowed down by their actions, saying that the federal government stands to benefit from flights, and freights because they generate duties while the only revenue accruing to the state is rent.
Imoke reasoned that TINAPA needs the support of the federal government to survive and it must identify with it by creating incentives and concessions while acknowledging the support of the current minister of Commerce, who has shown tremendous interest in TINAPA.
He averred that for the federal government to achieve its vision of being one of the 20 largest economies by 2020, there was need to look critically at the current system, hoping that the committee was different from the previous ones and its recommendations abided by the federal government.
The governor explained that substantial investments has been made by the federal and Cross River governments and at the end, if the different zones function maximally, they will be worthwhile for the nation, saying that their visit to the state was worth looking for because there were points to be strengthened in the state, for the economic benefit of Nigerians.
The chairman of the Presidential Committee on Waivers, Concessions and Incentives, Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma, said it was inaugurated by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua four weeks ago with the mandate to complete and submit its report within eight weeks as part of the President's desire to set his economic programme of making the country one of the 20 largest economies in 2020.
According to Udo-Udoma, for Nigeria to achieve this, its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) must grow faster and that their visit to Cross River was to look at what was required to get industries grow and get people back to work. He added that their mission also included what was needed to be done and the concessions to make the nation attractive to foreign investors.
Udo-Udoma noted that Cross River has made tremendous investment in TINAPA and they were in the State to see how the federal government can make it succeed as partners as well as see how the expectations of the Calabar Free Trade Zone could be realised.
He said the committee would also look into what could be done to bring more tourists to the State while it would also listen to advice from the state government as he pledged members' preparedness to come to the state to enjoy its carnival in December.
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