(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tradeusaid-300x192.jpg) The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom has reiterated Nigeria's commitment to the principles and objectives of the multilateral trading system through the pursuit of liberalized trade and dynamic economic policies.
He stated this at the opening of a 5- Day workshop on World Trade Organization (WTO), Trade Facilitation, National Self Assessment of Nigeria's Needs and Priorities at Sheraton Hotels & Towers, Abuja, FCT.
In his address read by Mr. Steve Amanze, Special Assistant (Technical) to the Minister of State, the Minister said that Nigeria was committed to the objectives of trade facilitation and trade related financial services aimed at ensuring smooth and effective import and export procedures relating to customs and port clearance, border management and performance monitoring systems, trade documentation and tariff development.
Dr. Ortom said that Mr. President was committed to the reform and customs' modernization that will create the necessary enabling environment for investment and trade facilitation.
(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DSC00044.jpg)Special Assistant (Technical) to Hon. Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment Mr. Steve Amanze, Lead Facilitator (USAID) Mr. Paul Fekete and Mrs. Dabney Shaw-Holmer, Director, Shipping Services In his words, "It will also enable our seaports, which have excellent facilities to regain their pre-eminent position in the West Africa sub-region. The government is committed to continue with the reform of the Nigeria Customs Service, which started in 2004. The objective of the reform is to have a service that is responsive to the demands of a rapidly globalized economy in terms of human capacity and ICT infrastructure which are necessary for the effectiveness of trade facilitation", Ortom stressed.
The Minister pointed out that Nigeria as a responsible member of the WTO will continue to intensify efforts to play more active and collaborative role in shaping the direction of multilateral trade policies consistent with our development aspiration.
He commended the management of Customs for embarking on full automation of the clearing process and continued efforts to reposition the customs service to meet WCO/WTO standards thereby ensuring that international best practices's requirement are met.
The Minister recalled the global concern for trade facilitation which had led to continuous WTO negotiations with the aim of reducing trade inhibiting bureaucracy at the borders as this tends to slow down trade between countries.
In his welcome address read by the Director of Weights and Measures, Alhaji Bashir Zoru, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kigbu pointed out that the purpose of the needs assessment was to examine WTO members proposed measures on Trade Facilitation vis-à-vis Nigeria's current situation, support and prepare Nigeria in the current negotiation on WTO trade facilitation, identify and develop strategies towards overcoming barriers to trade among others with a view to streamlining overlapping functions, identify and prioritize technical assistance needs and areas in which special and differential treatment (SDT) will be necessary.
In his goodwill address, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service represented by Comptroller Azarema Abdulkadir stated that the critical ways to compliment efforts in trade facilitation was to update Customs' procedures to a more modern technology standards which the Nigeria Customs Service has undertaken from 2006 to date through development of Customs Single Window for Trade 2010, Nigeria Integrated Information System (NICIS), Establishment of Nigeria Trade HUB website and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) which cover valuation, classification and risk management for imported goods.
He said the harmonized processes and policies have contributed immensely to the improvement of Customs' operations and speedy clearance of goods and increased government revenue adding that the organization will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders to enhance global trade facilitation and increase government revenue.
Also, the representative of the Managing Director of Nigeria Shippers Council, Mrs. Dabney Shaw-Holmer, Director Shipping Services stated that Nigeria's participation at WTO negotiations was with a view to helping the country's traders and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) to have better access to trade laws and regulations of their trading partners in a more predictable and transparent manner.
She said that an important step was to periodically conduct the needs assessment and utilize the outcome to take advantage of the resources provided at the WTO to develop the technical skills for favourable and profitable negotiations with Nigeria's trading partners.
Earlier, the Lead Facilitator (USAID), Mr. Paul Fekete had pointed out that the 2008 workshop on National Self-Assessment for Nigeria's Needs and Priorities sponsored by WTO and USAID outlined some of the challenges facing Nigeria in respect of trade facilitation and identified way forward and how to improve movement of goods across Nigeria borders.
He added that WTO Secretariat has developed a programme sponsored by USAID to identify technical assistance, capacity building, support needed and priority that Nigeria has in relation to data gathering for negotiations at WTO and to help Nigeria determine negotiating position in Geneva and the strategies to dialogue with stakeholders as well as bring together in Nigeria varieties of Ministries, Agencies and Private sector to carry out needs assessment.
Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria