CRFFN Moves To Boast Nation’s IGR

Determined to improve and boost the nation’s internally generated revenue (IGR), the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN) has begun a nationwide sensitization of its members on the payment of the operational fee through the digitalised online portal.
The Director of CRFFN in charge of Regulation and Enforcement, Mr Basil Opara while speaking during a sensitisation programme in Port Harcourt, recently, with the theme: ‘Sensitization and Demonstration of CRFFN Portal Registration, Annual Subscription and Processing of Practitioners’ Operating Fee (POF) Payment” organised by the council on simplified ways of paying practitioners’ operating fee (POF), said the new online portal payment regime introduced by the council would check fraud in the system and boost the IGR of the Federal Government.
Opara stated that the programme was designed to educate members on how to queue into the modified online payment system as introduced by the council as well as enable the operators pay their fees online with ease.
He said that the importance of the online payment portal was a deliberate effort designed to boost the nation’s IGR, adding that 35per cent of the fee paid goes back to the freight operators’ coffers.
“We are here to sensitize our members in the freight forwarding business on how they can pay their registration fees and other bills through the online portal platform. We were here in January this year to introduce this new digital payment system”, he stated.
In his remarks, the Zonal Coordinator, Special Control Unit Money Laundering (SCUML) in Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Port Harcourt, Sunji Audu, said that the commission monitors, supervises and regulates activities of designated non-financial institutions which include clearing and forwarding agencies.
He urged them to obtain evidence of registration, ensure that they comply with all the laws in compliance with the Money Laundry Act, as well as the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of Non-Financial Institutions Regulations 2013, and advised them to keep records of all transactions and ensure they carry out proper Customs identification when doing business to avoid EFCC’s sanctions during inspection.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Eastern Ports, Tamunoemi Peterside, explained that the introduction of the payment of the operators’ fee online would help ease their job in ensuring the maintenance of security and peace keeping in the ports.
Represented by DCP in charge of Operations, Monday Agbonika, Peterside, said that the online payment system would help hasten investigation of crimes in the ports, especially in the areas of tracing and tracking of payments and forgery of documents, and urged freight forwarding operators to seek legal remedies on any issue that has to do with their payment.
Earlier, the Chairman, Area 1, Seaport chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Ngozi Uzohuo, commended the initiative of the council in introducing the online portal as well as the advocacy sensitization campaign in the state.

By: Akujobi Amadi