The acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Kayode Farinto, has disclosed plans to set up an independent institute of customs brokerage.
Farinto said this on Wednesday while addressing members of ANLCA in Apapa during his campaign tour.
He said the institute would focus on the needs and challenges of customs brokers.
Farinto cited the practices in advanced countries where such institutes exist, adding that he would ensure the establishment of the institute if elected as ANLCA president.
Meanwhile, Farinto disclosed that Customs brokers had been paying higher fees for licences and operations compared to other industry players.
“For instance, I pay N250,000 yearly to renew my license and an additional N15,000 at each command. On the other hand, someone else only pays N7,000 to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission. We are not the same. That is why we want our own institute of customs brokerage to take care of customs brokers alone, just like advanced countries do. This is what we will pursue, God willing,” he said.
The acting ANLCA president claimed that it was wrong for the members of the association to belong to the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.
“It is a misnomer for members of ANLCA to belong to the CRFFN, as the original intention of CRFFN has been hijacked by the Federal Government. The composition of CRFFN shows that the Federal Government appoints 17 members while we elect 15.”
He lamented that it is wrong to lump many things together in an industry with so many sub-sectors.
“In the industry, we have various sectors like freight forwarders, customs brokers, logistics suppliers, consolidators, and warehouse owners, but everything has been lumped together. This makes it difficult to differentiate between professionals,” Farinto argued.
He promised to work closely with the Federal Government to secure a one per cent allocation from the annual revenue generated by customs brokers.
He added that the allocation would be utilised to benefit ANLCA members and tackle operational challenges arising from government policies.
