The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has reiterated a deepened commitment to the promotion of the country’s non-oil export.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Emmanuel Jime, said this when his counterpart from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr Ezra Yakusak, led a team to visit him on Tuesday in Abuja.
Jime expressed the Council’s readiness to partner with the NEPC to ensure compliance of trade rules by exporters and importers in the country.
“I am informed that there is a high level of noncompliance to trade rules, now we think that this is actually a problem of both importers and exporters.
“So to address this challenge the NSC will like to collaborate with you to organise more enlightenment seminars and you have already called for it, so this is our acceptance of the need to have that partnership.
“And in doing this, we intend that there should be seminars so that exporters and importers can imbibe ethics of integrity in international trade.
“These are areas I think that partnership will lead us into developing and understanding. The NSC is fully committed; I want to promise you this, to support all measures towards promoting non-oil export in Nigeria.
“And in this regard, we are ready to synergise and collaborate with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to be able to achieve this,” he said.
On the Domestic Export Warehouse (DEW), Jime explained that it was the Council’s duty in collaboration with critical agencies to develop the standard operating procedures for the warehouse.
“We think we also need to provide guidelines for setting of tariffs for the operation of the export warehouses,” he said.
There is a high level of noncompliance to trade rules, now we think that this is actually a problem of both importers and exporters.
Level playing
Jime advocated the usage of the inland dry port as part of the domestic warehouses, saying the Council would create a level playing field for ports service providers, users and exporters.
“We intend to remain fair in our activities. We are unbiased and we think it’s our job to ensure that decisions taken in the ports sector are arrived at with true consultations with all the stakeholders.”
Jime granted Yakusak’s request to assign some officers of the NSC to join the NEPC team in a walk aimed at sensitising Nigerians on the need to massively invest in the non-oil sector on May 13.
Earlier, the NEPC boss commended the NSC’s efforts and collaboration aimed towards repositioning Nigeria’s non-oil sector, and its role in the DEW project, and appealed that a desk officer be assigned as liaison on the scheme.
“I also want to request that an officer be specifically assigned as liaison on the domestic export warehouse matters and project. This will ensure smooth interface between operators of the project and exporters as well as speedy or smooth take off of the project.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the DEW initiative, when fully implemented, will curb logistic constraints in the non-oil sector. (NAN)
