“It’s only in Nigeria that Customs is IGR-based”, Coleman Wires boss laments

The Managing Director of Coleman Wires and Cables, George Onafowokan has lamented that it is only in Nigeria that the Customs Service has been turned into an Internally Generated Revenue body.

This is even as he lamented that this is a huge mistake.

The businessman was part of guests at Channels Television’s Independence Day special event tagged, “Nigeria’s Challenging Economy: Strategies For Recovery” on Tuesday.

“I still do not understand how the Customs has become a bureau de change. I don’t think the philosophy of any Customs anywhere in the world on fiscal policy is to balance, it is not the monetary policy IGR-driven Customs,” Onafowokan said.

READ ALSO: Customs speaks on delay in import duty waiver for maize, rice, wheat

“It is only in Nigeria that our Customs is IGR-based and that is a big mistake, big error and until the day we realise that Customs is for fiscal balancing which is why Customs is under the Ministry of Finance not under the CBN.

“It’s done on purpose so that the Ministry of Finance can carry its fiscal policy role through them where necessary and that is how it is supposed to be but now we are turning them into IGR-based and it is affecting the manufacturers.”

Onafowakan lamented inconsistencies in government’s policies, saying that any time that happens it slows down manufacturing and productivity.

He said that the economy will continue to suffer if the government keeps switching policies that are detrimental to manufacturers and small and medium enterprises.

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