The Galvanised Iron and Steel Manufacturers Association has disclosed that the Federal Government loses about N53 billion per annum to the illegal importation of iron and steel products.
Heavy importation could collapse the Nigerian iron and steel industry: According to the group’s consultant, Obiorah Ifoh, who revealed this at a press briefing in Abuja, there is an urgent need for the re-introduction of pre-shipment inspection in order to check the high occurrence of the importation of the substandard steel products into the country.
“GISMA has been battling for sometime with this dismal economic sabotage which may lead to the collapse of up to 60 per cent of manufacturing in the production of galvanised iron and steel companies in Nigeria.
“If unchecked, it may also result in a mass lay-off of more than 50,000 direct employees and crystallisation of numerous associated systemic risks in the Nigerian steel industry in a country where unemployment is already on the high side.” -Ifoh
The Federal Government losses about N1bn on a weekly basis due to this importation: Continuing on why the Government should put an end to the importation of iron and steel, Ifoh alleged that there is a cartel of economic saboteurs who import huge volumes of containers every week valued at about $5m which are never captured on the Nigeria Customs Service portal. This causes the Federal Government of Nigeria to lose an estimated N1bn on a weekly basis and N52bn annually as a result of these smuggled items.
He further disclosed that lack of proper inspection has made the country’s borders and seaports porous, leading to the influx of illegal arms and explosives into the country. Such a development is inimical to national economic development and national security of Nigeria.
Mr Ifoh stated that it appears that the Government’s security and revenue generating agencies have either been overwhelmed or are ignorant of the nefarious activities of the smugglers.
Some Industries are already shutting down: Speaking further on the problem at hand, the association claimed that seven of its members have shut down operations as a result of the activities of illegal importers.
According to Mallam Dahiru Ado-Kurawa, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Trade Malpractices:
“the issue was brought to our attention by GISMA interested party within the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. It has been an issue for some time, probably more rampant now as smuggling in so many products is usually predicated upon, maybe international pricing, domestic fiscal policies, among others.
“What we have come across recently is that there is misclassification of galvanised roofing sheet in terms of duty code. That is a very technical way of smuggling and quite difficult to prove unless some serious efforts are employed by the already over-stretched Nigeria Customs Service.”
