Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi receiving the "Iconic Maritime Personality of the Year 2024" Award, organised by the Nigerian Maritime Journalists (NMJ)
Searching for a media mogul that has cut his teeth in covering and reporting Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) over the years, there is no other tactician other than Chief Jacob Igisenye Idinye, the anchor of Customs News Package on AIT Television.
Some analysts refer him as a Customs encyclopedia or even Wikipedia.
Recently, he granted a media chat and reviewed the ongoing tax reform Bill currently at the National Assembly and made critical observation which bordered on coming up with a final tax document that will while reforming the general tax system and administration in Nigeria, allow the Nigerian Customs to consolidate on its core mandate in line with its establishment Act which is revenue generation for the federal government.
Idinye started by noting that “I want to add my voice with that of other stakeholders who asked the critical and harmless questions that is the Federal Government planning to dismantle the Customs Service? Will they employ customs officers to work in the new agency? Will they create offices for them within the agency? This could lead to confusion. Ultimately, the government, which aims to maximize revenue, stands to lose the most. And there is no basis for the government to upset the applecart or reinvent the wheel. There are Customs in every country of the world and no government of those developed climes will ever undermine their statutory functions in revenue generation and other key and technical responsibilities recognized by law. The NCS has established infrastructure and is leveraging technology to facilitate trade. Repealing the Act would undermine these efforts and hinder progress in Nigeria and this should be wisely and decently dismissed.”
While stressing that the reforms align with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a more efficient tax system, he however warned that they could negate the NCS’s ability to perform its core functions and that could be dangerous for the nation’s economy, advising that government should be circumspect at a time like this.
Chief Idinye made it clear that “Our legislators must be very tactical in their approach as they thinker with the Tax reform Bills presented before them, and they owe Nigerians the duty of advising Mr. President accordingly so that posterity will be kind to them. Customs work is more than just collecting revenue. It involves classifying cargo, understanding tariff classifications, and conducting customs valuations.
In his lead submission, he averred that “Therefore usurping their responsibilities technically through Bills like this shouldn’t never be entertained by the President. NCS under the leadership of Segun Adeniyi has brought pride to that revenue generating service in tandem with its policy thrust and ultimately with the excellent vision of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
According to him, “With due respect, the Federal government needs to establish a framework for seamless inter-agency collaboration to maximise the benefits of the reforms. Very clearly, Section 1 of the Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Bill 2024, provides a legal framework for the administration of taxes and revenue under any law, where section 42 defines tax to include any duty and revenue accruable to the government. This particular section subsumes everything that is provided under section 3 and 4 of the Nigeria Customs Act 2023” Idinye averred.
“Customs involves classifying cargo, understanding tariff classifications, and conducting customs valuations. Without the expertise to classify cargo and determine the applicable duty rates, there will be significant challenges. Only well-trained customs personnel can effectively perform these functions. I also urge the Federal government to increase funding for the NCS to address revenue collection challenges rather than repealing the 2023 NCS Act, which took over eight years to pass into law. The NCS has established infrastructure and is leveraging technology to facilitate trade. Repealing the Act now will undermine these efforts and hinder progress,” he said.
