Ease Of Doing Business: SON Resolves To Facilitate Trade

Ease Of Doing Business: SON Resolves To Facilitate Trade
L-R: Mrs. Oluremi Ayeni, Director, Management Systems Certification, Director of Legal Services, Barrister Umaru Karu (both at Standards Organization of Nigeria), keynote speaker at the workshop, Barr. Ubom Esom Akpan and Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, SON, when SON organized a stakeholders’ sensitization conference on “SON Act and the ease of doing business” last week.

The Director General, Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Osita Aboloma has reiterated SON’s resolve to engage stakeholders diplomatically on compliance with its standards and procedures to enhance ease of doing business.

The Director General made this remark at a recent stakeholders sensitization workshop on “SON Act and Ease of Doing Business” where he was represented by the Director of Legal Services, Barrister Umaru Karu in Lagos.

He assured that SON was ready to implore simple measures towards resolving disputes despite the enormous powers vested in it by law to ensure the growth and development of the nation’s economy is accelerated.

“We solemnly resolve that though the law vested SON with enormous powers, these powers would only be exercised as a matter of last resort. Our preferred mode of resolution is by negotiation, mitigation and conciliation. Towards this end, SON has established a full-fledged Alternative Dispute Resolution desk within its Customers Feedback and Collaboration Unit. This is also a means of easing the cost of doing business. Here, therefore lies the link between the SON Act 2015 and the ease of doing business in Nigeria. I wish to assure Nigerians of SON’s resolve to be a trade facilitator and a change agent in ensuring that the nation’s economic and industrial growth is fast tracked” Mr. Osita said.

The keynote speaker at the workshop, Mr. Ubom Esom Akpan in his presentation urged participants to shun substandard goods and also act as enforcement agencies because the consumers and the poor masses are the recipients of substandard products.

“If you don’t comply with the process of certifying the standard of your goods we are at the receiving end. Firstly, you will be at a loss if your goods are discovered to be substandard or fake. Again, countless innocent people have died of fake drugs intake and others. Once your product is certified to be good, people will confidently buy” Mr. Ubom stated.

Mr. Ubom also educated the conference on “default brand” which under the law vindicates individuals who encountered undue delay response in license application while calling for the adoption of International Business Standard in Nigerian ports.

“If you apply for a license and it took longer than expected that, that application by law is deemed to have been granted. When you travel abroad, all agencies required to operate at the ports are put into one single unit and when there is suspicion, the person in charge quickly excuses you without any embarrassment and unnecessary road blocks that we are seeing in Nigeria.

However, the Spokesperson of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto who spoke on behalf of the ANLCA National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, lamented the loss of direction by SON.

According to him, SON had turned into a revenue generating body instead of embracing its regulatory functions. He noted that this led to the neglect of land borders which has paved way for smuggling of sub-standard products into the nation.

“Our disagreement here and there is for the progress our country because we must move forward. The most important thing is that Nigeria must begin to have a rethink, there should be attitudinal change. Gone are the days when you can bring in sub-standard goods into our country and you feel you want to make money. I think there should be a legislation where whoever is unpatriotic with Nigeria by bringing such commodity must face serious punishment.

“SON has left our border stations porous for fake and sub-standard goods to be imported. I think this must be looked into.

“There is also need for you to put in your portal the Standard Operation Procedure of SON as it would educate Nigerians more” he added.

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