Duty Waivers: AFFPON Wants Govt To Monitor Importers, Traders

Following the recent announcement of the duty-free policy by the federal government, the Association of Freight Forwarding Practitioners of Nigeria (AFFPON) has called on the Nigerian government to put in place mechanisms that will monitor importers and traders enjoying duty free policy to sell commodities at affordable prices commensurate to waivers they enjoy.

AFFPON added that the price monitoring mechanism will make Nigerians feel the real impact of the introduced duty-free policy.

The president of the association, Miftahu Ya’u Bachirawa, made the call while responding to questions from journalists shortly after granting an interview with BBC Hausa that was aired on Thursday morning.

He described the new duty and VAT free policy on essential food items for six months as a well thought idea that will reduce the current level of hardship in the country that has led to the nationwide protests, adding that it will also bring down the prices of commodities at the retail points.

He added that the policy, which includes raw materials for manufacturing food items, agricultural production inputs, fertilisers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, poultry feed, flour, paddy rice and grains, will go a long way in reducing the current hardship faced by Nigerians.

“The problems we as freight forwarders are facing are not more than those faced by the generalities of Nigerians, which are economic hardships brought about by inflation and other factors in the country.

“Most of these problems are linked with the imports and exports of goods and the closure of the borders that disallow the importation of goods.

“This has led to the country‘s current hardship degenerating into a nationwide protest.

“If the duties are abolished and imports and exports of goods are encouraged, a good business environment will exist that will hopefully bring down the prices of commodities and also bring down the retail prices of goods in the markets,“ he stated.