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Reps panel to meet stakeholders on rice transformation agenda

By on February 20, 2014

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Customs to summon all relevant stakeholders to fashion a way forward on the rice transformation agenda.

The House on Wednesday in Abuja, also called on the Federal Government to implement the agreement reached with the Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria on November 21, 2013.

The motion is entitled: “An urgent call on the Federal Government to implement the new rice duty regime.”

The resolutions followed a motion by Rep. Nasiru Baballe (APC- Kano), which was unanimously adopted without debate when put to vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

Baballe, while moving the motion said that food insecurity constituted an immense threat to human development and peaceful co-existence.

He said the Federal Government increased duty on rice importation to 100 per cent in 2013 to further stimulate local farming as well as local production.

The lawmaker said the good intention of the Federal Government has been sabotaged by massive smuggling “at a rate never witnessed in the past”.

According to him, over three million tonnes of parboiled rice was smuggled into Nigeria in 2013 through Benin Republic.

He said that the smuggling of these parboiled rice accrued to Benin Republic’s revenue of over N200 billion in duties.

The lawmaker said the Nigeria Customs Service lost over N300 billion from the sharp practices of smuggling.

“It is important to note that import duty on rice is the major source of revenue to the service,” he said.

He said the Federal Government, worried over the ugly trend, called a meeting of stakeholders on rice importation and distribution on November 21, 2013 to address the menace.

The lawmaker said the Federal Government was yet to implement the agreement reached at the meeting, adding that if actions were not taken it could spell doom for the economy.

Meanwhile, the house passed for second reading a bill to amend the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Act.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chukwuemeka Nwogbo (APGA-Anambra), seeks to place the institute in the first line charge of the consolidated revenue fund.

 

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