The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has alleged that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is encouraging foreign dominance of indigenous customs brokerage business in the country.
The association, during its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Lagos recently, lamented that the customs brokerage, a segment of the cargo clearance logistics chain which ought to be left for indigenous Nigerians is being threatened, courtesy of foreigners’ invasion.
The association lamented that project cargoes that ought to be handled by Nigerians are being given to foreigners to carry, stating that no government policy seems to be protecting the indigenisation of customs brokerage in the country.
Speaking at the NEC meeting, the Vice President of the association, Dr Kayode Farinto, accused Customs of licensing Maersk Line and MSC under the name Damco Logistics and Medlock services limited to carry out customs brokerage, even as he lamented that younger customs brokers are gradually losing their jobs while older customs brokers are rendered broke as a result of foreign dominance of the customs brokerage business.
He urged the government to put up an executive bill that will emanate from the National Assembly to stop foreigners from taking over indigenous jobs.
He said if successful, the country will be producing about three thousand jobs annually for the budding/ younger Agents.
According to Farinto, “it is no more news that foreigners have taken over this specialized aspect of the logistics chain, under the guise of rendering door-to-door services, and as we speak now, all project cargoes have been taken over by these foreigners and no government policy seems to be protecting our profession.
“Maersk Line, a shipping line has registered a cargo clearing outfit called Damco Logistics Ltd while MSC also has Medlog Services Ltd. Both firms have been licensed by the board of the Nigeria Customs Service to practice customs brokerages at our ports.
“These foreign firms compete with we indigenous customs brokers for cargoes at Nigerian ports. They get all the project cargoes, leaving Nigerian’s with almost nothing to clear at the ports.
“The younger freight forwarders/ customs brokers are gradually losing their jobs, while the older ones do not have anything doing. Lately, the ANLCA National Secretary and I have put up a protest letter to the Annual transport summit going on in Kano from 6th to 9th of September, however, we are of the opinion that we need government protection or better still an executive bill to emanate from the National Assembly to stop foreigners from taking over our jobs.
“If this is successful, we will be producing about three thousand jobs annually for the budding/ younger Agents.”
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