Some top government officials and public communicators have met
in Abuja on the use of executive orders, reforms and development.
ADEBISI ONANUGA reports.
The Federal Government is set to amend anti-smuggling laws to
make them more effective, Special Adviser to the Minister of
Industry, Trade and Investment, Ms Edirin Akemu, has said.
According to her, the existing provisions on anti-smuggling were
not stringent enough.
She spoke in Abuja when stakeholders in the communication sector
met to review the Federal Government’s initiatives and reforms on
attaining economic development.
It was at the Fourth Presidential Economic Communications
Workshop.
The interactive session between government officials and select
group of editors and those from the communication sector was
sponsored by Bank of Industry (BoI) and Nigerian Export Import Bank
(NEXIM).
The theme was: Budget, Presidential Executive Orders and
Industrial Competiveness as Enablers of economic Growth.
Akemu, who gave an overview of the Nigeria Industrial Recovery
Policy (NIRP) and Competitiveness Advisory Council (“the Industrial
Council”), disclosed that government has ambitious plans to drive
industrialisation, noting that collaboration with the private
sector was a key elements.
According to her, the executive gave priorities to accelerated
implementation of the NIRP through local and small business
enterprises.
She said it was the government’s vision to drive a process of
intense industrialisation in sectors where Nigeria has comparative
advantage.
This approach, she said, targeted sectorial initiatives and
interventions that improve productivityand increase production
output in the target sectors.
According to her, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved
the establishment of the Nigeria Industrial Policy and
Competitiveness Advisory Council in March 2017 as a vehicle for
partnering with the private sector on the industrialisation
agenda.
She said the objective was to boost the contribution of the
manufacturing sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 250 per
cent over the next five years.
To achieve this, the council, she said, was mandated to
implement initiatives aimed at accelerating industrialisation by
leveraging private sector expertise and capital.
Akemu said focus areas were identified based on existing
national plans and feedback from the private sector on
cross-cutting issues that can be effectively addressed via
collaboration between the public and private sectors.
On policy and regulation, the special adviser disclosed that
government was updating the country’s anti-smuggling laws and that
the new bill would be part of 2018 appropriation bills.
Presently, the Customs and Excise Management Act prescribes
penalties for good importation into the country through unapproved
ports or approved routes.
Akemu said the penalties were not sufficiently punitive and do
not reflect current economic realities.
In the 2018 appropriation for the department, Akemu said
government would set up an anti-smuggling taskforce which would
prevent the sales and distribution of smuggled goods into the
country.
The law is intended to protect local industries and enable them
develop and compete at international market, thereby contributing
to economic growth.
She said the task force would comprise the National Agency for
Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards
Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Consumer Protection Council (CPC),
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Customs and the Trade
Malpractices Commission.
She said the task force, aside from preventing the sale and
distribution of smuggled goods into the country, would arrest
persons in possession of smuggled goods.
To achieve the objective, the Federal Government in May adopted
the use of executive orders (EOs) as part of efforts to reform the
economy.
Senior Special Assistant on Research, Legal and Compliance
Matters to the Vice President, Dr Balkisu Saidu said the Federal
Government would not rest on its oars.
Saidu said the EOs were presidential policy directives, which,
when made, were enforceable within the parameters set by the extant
laws under which they are made.
She explainedthat government uses EOs in four main areas: for
promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business
environment; for submission of annual budgetary estimates by all
statutory and non-statutory agencies, including Incorporated
companies wholly owned by the Federal Government; support for local
content in public procurements by ministries, departments and
agencies and for voluntary assets and income declaration
scheme.
Saidu said EOs have the advantage of removing bottlenecks which
hitherto have been hampering investments.
This, according to her, was because EOs save time and enable
speedy implementation of a desired policy by obviating the long
process of legislation.
She said it is also used to avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks in
the law making process; adding that it ensures the implementation
of extant laws by enabling the President to make further provisions
to guide their implementation.
Saidu said the use of EOs had aided the government’s quest to
attain economic recovery.
Though, the country has achieved tremendous successes since the
EOs were introduced on May 18, she said more still needed to be
done.
For instance, in the area of doing business, Saidu said the
objectives of the orders was to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks
in the operations of government Ministries, Departments and
Agencies( MDAs) and ensure speedy service delivery.
They are also aimed at reducing human contact in the provision
of Government services thereby blocking opportunities for rent
seeking; ensuring effective and efficient collaboration between
MDAs in the provision of services to end-users; ensuring the
provision of clear, accurate and up-to-date information to
end-users and enforcing timelines.
She said through such order, all heads of MDAs that offer
services such as issuance of clearance, certification, permits,
licenses, waivers among others, were mandated to ensure that the
clear and up-to-date requirements for obtaining their products or
receiving their services were published conspicuously in their
premises and on their websites, including timelines, conditions and
fees.
She said default approvals applied where there was failure to
communicate rejection of applications in the stipulated time.
According to her, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be
made through, at least, two media – letters, emails, publications
on MDA website, among others.
According to her, an applicant whose application is deemed
granted or approved can apply, within 14 days, for the issuance of
the document applied for. She said all notifications of rejection
must indicate reason(s) for such rejection in accordance with the
Executive Order.
She said the order mandated a weekly submission of records of
rejected applications to the Head of the MDA, adding that failure
to act within the stipulated time amounts to misconduct by the
officer concerned.
An assistant to the Director-General, Budget Office, Mr Ben
Akabueze, Mr Samuel Omenka, said spoke on Budget, Presidential
Orders and Industrial Competitiveness as Economic Growth Enablers:
an Overview of Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2018
Budget Proposals
Omenka said the MTEF was geared towards two main objectives:
setting fiscal targets and allocating resources to strategic
priorities within the targets.
According to him, allocation to strategic priorities requires
determination of government-wide priorities by the cabinet
collectively, and portfolio-wide priorities by Ministries and
Commissions individually.
He said cabinet priorities are best explained in a Budget Policy
Statement while priorities of line ministries and commission are
explained in the plan.
He listed key considerations in the design of a Fiscal Strategy
Paper to include the economic context, usually influenced by global
economic environment, domestic macro-environment, government’s
development priorities, among others.
According to Omenka, the 2018-2020 Medium-Term Expenditure
Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper outlines governments
fiscal policies and macroeconomic projections for 2018– 2020, and
provides the broad framework for annual budget and fiscal
management in line with the FRA (2007).
He said that the the key thrusts of the 2018 – 2020 MTEF/FSP
were consistent with the goals of Government’s Economic Recovery
and Growth Plan (ERGP) aimed at repositioning the economy on the
path of diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth.
He said that in line with the goals of the ERGP 2017-20, the
medium term fiscal policies of Government would be directed at
achieving macroeconomic stability; accelerating growth,
intensifying economic diversification and promoting inclusiveness;
enhancing oil revenues and accelerating non-oil revenues.
Special Assistant on Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
to the Vice President Mr. Tola Adekunle-Johnson said issue of the
small scale industries were very close to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s
heart.
According to him, the Vice President has taken their problems
upon himself and has been going round the states in partnership
with state governments to find solutions to the challenges they
face.
At such clinics, he said small scale entrepreneurs in just one
day can approach relevant agencies to get solutions that would
otherwise have taken months to resolve.
He said efforts were ongoing to enable SMEs secure loans at
single digit interest rates from banks like BOI once they are able
to provide guarantors.
Some top government officials and public communicators have met
in Abuja on the use of executive orders, reforms and development.
ADEBISI ONANUGA reports.
The Federal Government is set to amend anti-smuggling laws to
make them more effective, Special Adviser to the Minister of
Industry, Trade and Investment, Ms Edirin Akemu, has said.
According to her, the existing provisions on anti-smuggling were
not stringent enough.
She spoke in Abuja when stakeholders in the communication sector
met to review the Federal Government’s initiatives and reforms on
attaining economic development.
It was at the Fourth Presidential Economic Communications
Workshop.
The interactive session between government officials and select
group of editors and those from the communication sector was
sponsored by Bank of Industry (BoI) and Nigerian Export Import Bank
(NEXIM).
The theme was: Budget, Presidential Executive Orders and
Industrial Competiveness as Enablers of economic Growth.
Akemu, who gave an overview of the Nigeria Industrial Recovery
Policy (NIRP) and Competitiveness Advisory Council (“the Industrial
Council”), disclosed that government has ambitious plans to drive
industrialisation, noting that collaboration with the private
sector was a key elements.
According to her, the executive gave priorities to accelerated
implementation of the NIRP through local and small business
enterprises.
She said it was the government’s vision to drive a process of
intense industrialisation in sectors where Nigeria has comparative
advantage.
This approach, she said, targeted sectorial initiatives and
interventions that improve productivityand increase production
output in the target sectors.
According to her, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved
the establishment of the Nigeria Industrial Policy and
Competitiveness Advisory Council in March 2017 as a vehicle for
partnering with the private sector on the industrialisation
agenda.
She said the objective was to boost the contribution of the
manufacturing sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 250 per
cent over the next five years.
To achieve this, the council, she said, was mandated to
implement initiatives aimed at accelerating industrialisation by
leveraging private sector expertise and capital.
Akemu said focus areas were identified based on existing
national plans and feedback from the private sector on
cross-cutting issues that can be effectively addressed via
collaboration between the public and private sectors.
On policy and regulation, the special adviser disclosed that
government was updating the country’s anti-smuggling laws and that
the new bill would be part of 2018 appropriation bills.
Presently, the Customs and Excise Management Act prescribes
penalties for good importation into the country through unapproved
ports or approved routes.
Akemu said the penalties were not sufficiently punitive and do
not reflect current economic realities.
In the 2018 appropriation for the department, Akemu said
government would set up an anti-smuggling taskforce which would
prevent the sales and distribution of smuggled goods into the
country.
The law is intended to protect local industries and enable them
develop and compete at international market, thereby contributing
to economic growth.
She said the task force would comprise the National Agency for
Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards
Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Consumer Protection Council (CPC),
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Customs and the Trade
Malpractices Commission.
She said the task force, aside from preventing the sale and
distribution of smuggled goods into the country, would arrest
persons in possession of smuggled goods.
To achieve the objective, the Federal Government in May adopted
the use of executive orders (EOs) as part of efforts to reform the
economy.
Senior Special Assistant on Research, Legal and Compliance
Matters to the Vice President, Dr Balkisu Saidu said the Federal
Government would not rest on its oars.
Saidu said the EOs were presidential policy directives, which,
when made, were enforceable within the parameters set by the extant
laws under which they are made.
She explainedthat government uses EOs in four main areas: for
promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business
environment; for submission of annual budgetary estimates by all
statutory and non-statutory agencies, including Incorporated
companies wholly owned by the Federal Government; support for local
content in public procurements by ministries, departments and
agencies and for voluntary assets and income declaration
scheme.
Saidu said EOs have the advantage of removing bottlenecks which
hitherto have been hampering investments.
This, according to her, was because EOs save time and enable
speedy implementation of a desired policy by obviating the long
process of legislation.
She said it is also used to avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks in
the law making process; adding that it ensures the implementation
of extant laws by enabling the President to make further provisions
to guide their implementation.
Saidu said the use of EOs had aided the government’s quest to
attain economic recovery.
Though, the country has achieved tremendous successes since the
EOs were introduced on May 18, she said more still needed to be
done.
For instance, in the area of doing business, Saidu said the
objectives of the orders was to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks
in the operations of government Ministries, Departments and
Agencies( MDAs) and ensure speedy service delivery.
They are also aimed at reducing human contact in the provision
of Government services thereby blocking opportunities for rent
seeking; ensuring effective and efficient collaboration between
MDAs in the provision of services to end-users; ensuring the
provision of clear, accurate and up-to-date information to
end-users and enforcing timelines.
She said through such order, all heads of MDAs that offer
services such as issuance of clearance, certification, permits,
licenses, waivers among others, were mandated to ensure that the
clear and up-to-date requirements for obtaining their products or
receiving their services were published conspicuously in their
premises and on their websites, including timelines, conditions and
fees.
She said default approvals applied where there was failure to
communicate rejection of applications in the stipulated time.
According to her, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be
made through, at least, two media – letters, emails, publications
on MDA website, among others.
According to her, an applicant whose application is deemed
granted or approved can apply, within 14 days, for the issuance of
the document applied for. She said all notifications of rejection
must indicate reason(s) for such rejection in accordance with the
Executive Order.
She said the order mandated a weekly submission of records of
rejected applications to the Head of the MDA, adding that failure
to act within the stipulated time amounts to misconduct by the
officer concerned.
An assistant to the Director-General, Budget Office, Mr Ben
Akabueze, Mr Samuel Omenka, said spoke on Budget, Presidential
Orders and Industrial Competitiveness as Economic Growth Enablers:
an Overview of Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2018
Budget Proposals
Omenka said the MTEF was geared towards two main objectives:
setting fiscal targets and allocating resources to strategic
priorities within the targets.
According to him, allocation to strategic priorities requires
determination of government-wide priorities by the cabinet
collectively, and portfolio-wide priorities by Ministries and
Commissions individually.
He said cabinet priorities are best explained in a Budget Policy
Statement while priorities of line ministries and commission are
explained in the plan.
He listed key considerations in the design of a Fiscal Strategy
Paper to include the economic context, usually influenced by global
economic environment, domestic macro-environment, government’s
development priorities, among others.
According to Omenka, the 2018-2020 Medium-Term Expenditure
Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper outlines governments
fiscal policies and macroeconomic projections for 2018– 2020, and
provides the broad framework for annual budget and fiscal
management in line with the FRA (2007).
He said that the the key thrusts of the 2018 – 2020 MTEF/FSP
were consistent with the goals of Government’s Economic Recovery
and Growth Plan (ERGP) aimed at repositioning the economy on the
path of diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth.
He said that in line with the goals of the ERGP 2017-20, the
medium term fiscal policies of Government would be directed at
achieving macroeconomic stability; accelerating growth,
intensifying economic diversification and promoting inclusiveness;
enhancing oil revenues and accelerating non-oil revenues.
Special Assistant on Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
to the Vice President Mr. Tola Adekunle-Johnson said issue of the
small scale industries were very close to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s
heart.
According to him, the Vice President has taken their problems
upon himself and has been going round the states in partnership
with state governments to find solutions to the challenges they
face.
At such clinics, he said small scale entrepreneurs in just one
day can approach relevant agencies to get solutions that would
otherwise have taken months to resolve.
He said efforts were ongoing to enable SMEs secure loans at
single digit interest rates from banks like BOI once they are able
to provide guarantors.
Read more https://www.nairalaw.com/fed-govt-set-to-review-anti-smuggling-laws/