By Godwin Oritse

THE Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has launched a campaign to sensitize Nigerian importers and  traders on how best  to practice international trade by applying the rules and procedures on  all of such transactions.

Speaking at a one-day importer- exporters sensitization workshop in Lagos, the Council’s  Executive Secretary, and Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Hassan Bello said that international trade is critical to the economic development of any country as it enables the nation to expand its market and earn much needed foreign exchange.

Hassan who was represented by Director of Commercial Shipping Service Mrs. Dabney Shall-Holma said that the Council can only come to the aid of importers if they present genuine cases of being short changed.

Bello explained that if and when importers, exporters and traders continue to engage themselves in unwholesome practices in international trade, the Council  is only being made to be handicapped adding that until they apply the proper rules and procedures, they will continue to outsmart themselves.

The Council boss further explained that trade facilitation involves the simplification, standardization and harmonisation of procedures and associated information flows required to move goods from seller to buyer and make payment.

Bello urged traders to take advantage of the Council’s function of ensuring that shippers are given assistance and support they need to obtain efficient and cost effective shipping and other ancillary services.

Speaking in a  similar vein, the Council Director in  charge of Commercial Shipping Services,  Mrs Dabney Shall-Holma said that the Council was set up to take up  the interest of importers and exporters and urged them to avail themselvesof  the opportunities abound in the agency to grow their businesses

The workshop which was co-organised by both the Council and the Center for Transparency in Maritime Practice (CTMP) according to Shall-Holma would be replicated in other geo-political zones of the country.

According to the President of the Center, Mrs Julie Ogboru  said that there has been a down ward trend in the businesses of traders due to the ignorance of rules and procedures of international trade.

She said “A good number of them are faced with frustration having experienced their efforts are dampened and their goods seized for incidences which they would have easily avoidedif they were equipped with knowledge such as the one being shared today”.

She noted that for some reasons overseas partners of these short change their Nigerian partners by not receiving good paid for and sometimes not also paying for goods exported to them.

“ It  is therefore imperative that you become more knowledgeable with the contents of the imports – exports rules and documentation procedures so that you may be sufficiently equipped to carry your duties and responsibilities in the business you do”.