Customs CG: Suspension of import duties on food meant to bring down prices
Adeniyi spoke on Tuesday during a briefing by security chiefs in Abuja on measures by the federal government to bring down prices of food stuff.
Bashir Adeniyi, the comptroller-general (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service, says the suspension of duties and taxes on imported food and pharmaceutical items will reduce food prices.
Adeniyi spoke on Tuesday during a briefing by security chiefs in Abuja on measures by the federal government to bring down prices of food stuff.
He was speaking on the heels of the #EndBadGovernance protest which has entered its sixth day. Protesters are asking the government to crash the rising prices of food stuff in the country, among other demands.
“The protest was premised on a number of things, one of them being to end hunger,” the customs CG said.
“We discovered that a significant amount of food consumed in Nigeria is imported. Importation takes some time.
“So, one of the things the president has done to cushion the effect of the cost of importation is to suspend customs duties and taxes on imported food items for a period of time.
“We believe that when this is implemented, it will help to bring down prices of food items in the markets. Nigerian Customs is committed to the implementation of this particular fiscal policy as enunciated by the government.”
