MAN Moves To Combat Smuggling …Constitutes Private Anti-Smuggling Committee

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) yesterday reiterated its commitment to combating smuggling through the creation of a private anti-smuggling committee expected to begin operations in August.
Its President, Dr Frank Jacobs said in Lagos that the committee became necessary as the association, which initially proposed an anti-smuggling task force, was left out after its establishment.
Jacobs said that as direct victims of the impact of smuggling, a request to create a private sector committee to basically feed the national task force with firsthand information about smuggling activities was made.
According to him, this is to ensure that the issue of compromise and corruption in the discharge of their duties will not be experienced as lives of their businesses depended on it.
“The national anti-smuggling task force, which we initially proposed to the government, has been established and is currently being headed by the Nigerian Customs Service.
“We were supposed to be members, but for some reasons, I suspect the government decided to handle it at their own level.
“We are gravely concerned about smuggling because it affects the competitiveness of member companies and their products, even big companies like Dangote.
“You do not expect those who are direct victims of the effects of smuggling to then turn around and become part of the problems we are trying to tackle,” Jacobs said.
The MAN chief said that a number of graduates would be integrated into the system to work with other existing members of the association for the success of the committee.