The ugly trend of increased smuggling activities has been attributed to the partially to the high tariff system in the country especially the auto-policy and the ban in the importation of rice.
This was made known by the founder of the Nigerian Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr Boniface Aniebonam in a press release last week.
According to Aniebonam, “The present tariff on auto-policy, rice importation, aluminium coil and profile etc has set the machinery for smuggling activities in motion because it beats economic argument as it is presently at 70%, 110%, and 35% tariff rate respectively.
He said that as a result of high tariff, people were seeking alternative roots of bringing their goods which may include smuggling into the country because they could not afford to pay the charges.
He further stated that even though the government meant well for the entire populace, but “unfortunately some of our trade policies tend to create problems and confusion both to the trading community and even to the agents of the government whose mandate is to enforce the law”.
The NAGAFF founder also posted that the country’s boarders are porous as has been made clear by the activities of The Boko Haram Set but that is not only through illegal roots that goods are smuggled into the country but some goods are smuggled through approved channels just in a bid to invade to pay high customs duties on those goods.
