THE Tin-Can Command of the Nigeria Customs Service,(NCS) has said
that only semi-treated and fully processed wood products will be allowed
through its command as export.
Customs CG, Hameed Ali
Speaking with stakeholders in Lagos recently, the Customs Area
Comptroller of the Tin-Can Island Command, Mr. Yusuf Bashar said that it
had to sensitize the trading public particularly exporters on the need
to ensure that only exportable wood products are brought in to the port
adding that anything short of what the law permits will be confiscated.
Bashar also said that the command had to bring in officials of the
Federal Environment Protection Agency, (FEPA) to assist the Customs in
explaining and showing to exporters the difference between treated and
untreated wood products.
He explained that exports do not attract any duty adding that in the
light of falling oil price, the government is trying to encourage
Nigerians to export as much as they can with a view to earn more foreign
exchange.
“It is an incentive to encourage export because it is assumed that
money will come to government based on exportable products from Nigeria
most especially now that Nigeria is having issue with crude oil.
“Price per barrel is going down, it is our major foreign exchange
earner so Nigerians must be encouraged to export as much lawful products
as possible.
“At a point, we asked ourselves how we can encourage exports from our
end, we thought that the best way to do that was to sensitize the
people and tell what exports are allowed by law.
“We took wood products as the first item amongst exportable products because it attracts a lot of attention.
“The need for the campaign became imperative due to the seeming confusion emanating from the export of wood products .
“So we met exporters of wood products, freight forwarders of wood
exporters, our own Customs personnel and any interested members of the
public and let them know the categories of wood that are lawfully
exportable”he said.
According to Bashar, other government agencies that approved such
exports were also invited to tell exporters what is called processed and
semi processed woods.
He opined that the more there is communication, the higher the
compliance level ,adding that unprocessed wood is banned from export.
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