The federal government has step down import duty payable on rice in what government sources said was necessitated by the need to discourage smuggling and under cutting.

The new rate of duty according to The Tide sources is $683 per tonne, down from the former rate of $800 and it is already been implemented at the various entry points across the nation’s seaports and border stations.

The Tide investigation revealed that the new duty was recommended by the Federal Governments special committee on trade malpractices.

It was discovered that some unscrupulous importers were under cutting their competitors denying the government of accruable revenue, hence government’s decision to review the benchmark.

According to unconfirmed reports, Nigeria top the list as the Africa’s largest importers of rice, importing an average of about 500,000 metric tonnes annually.

Worst still is the desperate moves by the unscrupulous importers at border stations where smugglers prefer to ferry the products into the country through creeks and waterfronts. Sources said most of the rice smuggled into the country were done through Seme bush parts and waters ways, where they have found it more attractive to carry one or two bags than to pay duty resulting in loss of revenue to the government.

With the reduction in benchmark, sources said no one is allowed to carry even one bag of rice across the borders and that Customs authorities at the Command have demonstrated seriousness in enforcing the new law.

The Customs Area Controller, Seme Border Command, Comptroller Samuel Aneke, while addressing journalists at Seme border recently said the Seme border of the Nigeria Customs Service Command is a no-go area” for smugglers, adding that, the officers and men of the area command have intercepted and smashed a smuggling gang which has terrorised the area. Six of the suspects are presently in detention awaiting to be prosecuted by the appropriate authority, sources told The Tide.

The customs boss, further noted that “the smugglers have abandoned the roads and have gone further into creeks, making an in-road of about 10 kilometer into Badagry and Ajegunle water routes and we have been trailing them.”

Aneke, who lamented the Commands lack of operational jeep, appealed for about 10 Hilux jeep, to enable the Command effectively checkmate the antics of smugglers, pointing out that the two operational Jeep; were borrowed from Federal Operation Unit (F.O.U) Ikeja.

Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Ernest Ebi (right) chatting with former Controller, Central Bank, Port Harcourt branch, Chief Matthew Udanah, during a business lunch at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt. Photo: Chris Monyanaga