Farinto vows to secure 1% allocation from revenue generated by Customs brokers

Dr. Kayode Collins Farinto, a presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has vowed to work closely with the Federal Government to secure a 1% allocation from the annual revenue generated by Customs brokers.

He asserted that this allocation would be utilized to benefit ANLCA members and tackle operational challenges arising from government policies.

Farinto also promised to ensure that the bill for the establishment of the Institute of Customs Brokerage is sponsored and passed into law if elected as president of the association.

Making the promises while addressing his supporters in Apapa on Tuesday during his campaign tour to the port city, he maintained that the institute has become necessary because the association is not supposed to be affiliated to the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) which he said belongs to all and sundry.

He stated that CRFFN has been taken over by the government and that it's no longer suitable for members to belong as its original reason of establishment has been compromised with 17 board members being appointed and only 15 elected.

Farinto stated that ANLCA needed leaders that would help it achieve its aims at this point in time.

"Going forward, we must redesign our lives. We need leaders that can help us achieve our aims. Our youths will be empowered, our women will have licenses."

Promising to deliver on time, Farinto stressed that leaders that could not achieve some of their campaign promises should be stoned.

He raised concerns about the current structure within the industry, where various sub-sectors such as freight forwarders, customs brokers, logistics suppliers, consolidators, and warehouse owners are all combined under one umbrella.

According to him, this approach makes it challenging to differentiate between different roles, leading to unfair treatment of professionals.

As an example, he highlighted that customs brokers, like himself, pay significant higher fees for licensing and operations compared to other industry players.

To address these issues, Farinto proposed the establishment of an independent institute of customs brokerage exclusively focused on the needs and challenges of customs brokers. He cited the practices in advanced countries where such institutes exist and emphasized that pursuing this initiative would be a priority, if elected as ANLCA’s President.

"It is a misnomer for members of ANLCA to belong to CRFFN, as the original intention of CRFFN has been hijacked by the Federal government. The composition of CRFFN shows that the Federal government appoints 17 members while we elect 15.”

"In the industry, we have various sectors like freight forwarders, customs brokers, logistics suppliers, consolidators, and warehouse owners, but everything has been lumped together. This makes it difficult to differentiate between professionals.

"For instance, I pay N250,000 yearly to renew my license and an additional N15,000 at each command. On the other hand, someone else only pays N7,000 to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission. We are not the same.

"That’s why we want our own institute of customs brokerage to take care of customs brokers alone, just like advanced countries do. This is what we will pursue, God willing,” he said.