Nation
Group Wants Extension Of Customs Licence Renewal Deadline
A port activist group, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), has urged the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance to reconsider the extension of customs licences renewal from one year to two years.
The licence in question is usually issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), an agency under the Ministry of Finance with 12 months expiration date.
The group also lamented the long process involved in obtaining the license despite the short duration, saying the short live span of the license poses serious threat to trade facilitation.
National Coordinator of the group, Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick, while speaking with journalists in his office last Friday, lamented the delay occasioned by the manual process.
He maintained that electronic issuance and renewal of licenses was the order of the day in other sector even as he wondered why such could not be inculcated in the customs licensing process.
According to him, “This is a clarion call to the CG of Customs and the Federal Ministry of Finance to understand that if automation in license renewal and procurement in vehicles and insurance is tenable, why would it not work in Customs licensing?
“DPR and others have gone automated and it lasts for two years”.
Speaking further, Osita noted that “I want them to look at it and see how they can salvage the situation because it is so critical that if you pay money for renewal now, it will take up to four or five months before you get it and during the period, you cannot use the license.
“Before you apply for linking or password, it will take months again. I see this as something that is very vital and should be inculcated in our system and would help improve on the manual system.
“The cost of renewing a license is over two hundred and fifty thousand naira and obtaining a new license is over five hundred thousand naira payable aside the unreceipted fees that you will have to pay”.
Critical stakeholders in clearing subsector of the maritime industry have also called on the Ministry of Finance to digitalise the renewal of customs clearing license to avoid unnecessary delay and the cumbersome process involved.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Nation
Rivers Deputy Governor Hails PH City One Love For Humanitarian Gesture
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
Nation
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Nation
SheVentures Open Zero-interest Loan Applications for Women Entrepreneurs
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.
Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.
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