The National Association
of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) last Tuesday called for the establishment of an independent body to review all applications for import waivers and concession.
NANTS said that the demand was to ensure transparency and accountability.
The President of the association, Mr Ken Ukaoha made the appeal in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja.
It said the public policy could only be measured by its impact in promoting the common good.
“Weak institutions produce dysfunctional policies and dysfunctional policies only breed corruption, waste and retrogression, and this is what we are currently facing with the waivers and concessions,” it said.
NANTS, a trade union, said that the body would be drawn from the private sector, civil society, consumer associations, academia and representatives of relevant government agencies such as the Ministry of Finance, agriculture and Nigeria Investment Promotion Council.
It said that the use of waivers and concessions was one of the legitimate tools available to any government in its pursuit of economic development and poverty eradication.
“Waivers and concession could also be used as an instrument to regulate the economy like tariff. In principle, waivers and concessions themselves are not bad.
“By nature, waivers and concession are prone to abuse and that is why any serious nation ought to pay attention to the manner such instruments are administered.
He stressed the need for adequate and appropriate laws to guide, control and regulate the use of the instruments.
It said that the body would receive and review all applications for waivers, exemptions or other forms of import duty concession and to advise the president on the merit of such applications.
The statement said that any person or sector that seeks to be added on the list must apply to the administrative body which would in turn review such application and only recommend its addition on meeting the criteria.