NCMDLCA: Propose Increase of Customs Agents License Fee Contravenes International Best Practice

Eromosele Abiodun

Licensed customs agents in the country have called on the federal government to halt the plan by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to increase clearing agents License fee.

The planned increase, they said, contravenes international best practice on registration, renewal and other professional licenses in the country.

In a petition addressed to President Bola Tinubu, seen by THISDAY, the agents urged the federal government to take Ghana as example where its parliament consolidated all fees and charges levied by Ministries, Department and Agencies.

National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria, Lucky Amiwero, who signed the petition said: “The Registration represent new license that is one hundred Ghana Cedis (100.00 GHc) while  Customs House Agent Licensing(Renewal) is Seventy Ghana Cedis(70.00 GHc), the Customs House Agents(CHA) of Ghana is similar to the Licensed Customs Agents in Nigeria, while Nigeria Customs levied N200,000  for  yearly renewal of Custom Agent License. The practitioner operating customs agents license in Nigeria, is currently overburdened with outrageous fees of N200,000 yearly renewal, with additional N15000, for each Customs Area Command. On the regional and international front, Ghana’s’ Practitioners Operating License Fees is 100 GHc, and 70 GHc is for renewal, approved by the Parliament of Ghana,

“The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is N25000, renewal fees. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria is N40,000 and N20,000, renewal fees depending on the years of experience, Nigerian Bar Association is N50,000, N25000, N17000, N10,000 and N5000respectively depending of year of call.

“The customs agents license fees and the bond are for procedural and  process performance, is not tied to revenue but performance, that is the ability to classify harmonised system, rule of origin, interpret trade policy and treat valuation agreement, trade agreement, protocols, treaties etc and apply it on procedure and process.”

The agents stressed the urgent need to reduce the current N200,000 renewal and N500,000 for new customs agents license fees in line with international best practice reflecting professional practice.

The licensed custom agency profession, Amiwero added, falls under small scale business that is indigenous in nature, “self-sustaining without government assistant, no training of the Licensed Customs Agent from Nigeria Customs even with the introduction of new processes, which  contravenes the  World Customs Organisation (WCO) Columbus  Program on Capacity Building for Licensed Agent,  World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical assistant on Capacity building for Licensed Customs Agents.

“Any further increase will affect 90 per cent of the work force in licensed customs agent profession nationwide, and a complete close down of most licensed agency business that is struggling  to survive  in this difficult  economic situation in the country, it will eventually create unemployment, security problem around the ports,” they said.