Daniel GUMM
IN an attempt to improve the general well-being of the Nigerian economy, the Ministry of Finance yesterday, took it upon itself to address the challenges facing exporters. It organised a seminar, which held from Wednesday through yesterday simultaneously in Aba, Ilorin, Kano, Lagos, Maiduguri, and Port Harcourt.

In an addressed at the the occasion, which held in Apapa, Lagos, Minister of Finance, Olusgun Olutoyin Aganga said that Nigeria the changed from the Destination Inspection system to the pre-shipment inspection system was for efficiency and to align with the global best practice in the export industry.

Mr. Aganga, who was represented on the occasion by a Deputy Director, Trade and Exchange, Mr. N. T. Igba noted that this system “permits the exporters to have their goods inspected at their stores and warehouses with quick dispensation provided they follow the appropriate guidelines.”

He pointed out that the pre-shipment inspection “is characterised by physical inspection of export goods to determine the quality, quantity, proper pricing and documentation in compliance with the world standard.”

According to him: “The re-introduction of the current export guidelines in October 2004, under Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS), requires that all goods including crude oil, its derivatives and non-oil products exported from Nigeria are subject to inspection by a government appointed inspection agencies. Nonetheless, there are export products listed in schedule “All” of the export guidelines that are subject to periodic review.

“However, what obtains prior to the current pre-shipment inspection system was the “Destination Inspection” burdened with several leakages due to lack of accurate documentation. Therefore, it became necessary to change from the Destination Inspection system to the pre-shipment inspection system for efficiency and to align with the global best practice in the export industry.”

The minister restated government’s desire to diversify its economy rather than depending on oil by harnessing the several abundant natural and human resources. “With the recent global recession that began with the advance economies fresh in our minds, it is essential that Nigeria establish an innovative action and contingency plans to insulate her from any unexpected occurrences in the future.

He said that with the nation’s monolithic economy due to dependence on crude oil export and imported consumer goods, “Nigeria must diversify its economy in order to move forward and be recognised as one of the top 20 industrial nations of the world in the new millennium.”

the minster noted that Nigerian consumption pattern and taste come as a result of our dependence on foreign goods, deficit in our Balance of Payments (BOP) and trade rules and regulations that encourage and favour our trading partners, who export more finished goods and import less of our primary products, thus advocating smuggling.

In order to invalidate the trend, the minister said the government reintroduced the long suspended Export Expansion Grant (EEG), “where individual exporters receive some grants when their exports exceed some set volume.
Government also reintroduced the Nigerian Exports Supervision Scheme (NESS) in 2004 in order to focus on the issues of quality assurance that could make our export goods attractive and competitive in the world market, establish the right pricing that enhance the revenue profile of the economy and allows informal trades through NESS for statistical records and proper planning measures that will over-turn the trend in favour in order to move the Nigeria n economy forward,” he emphasised.

Earlier in a welcome address, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Chinoyerem Ochi Achinivu, said that government is committed to diversifying the foreign exchange earnings through encouragement of the export sector.

He said the objectives of the seminar are, namely: Educate Nigerian exporters and the public on the benefits of the Nigerian Export supervision Scheme (NESS); forge co-operation among all stakeholders to facilitate trade, especially exports; elicit appropriate feedback to government from the organised Private Sector and building entrepreneurs; and re: emphasize the significance of obeying the law.

He told the participants that ur economy had been heavily depended on crude oil exports and with the new technologies, it is of a great necessity that we look inwards for other sources of foreign exchange as a nation.