The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents has petitioned the presidency on the urgent need to reduce the N200,000 renewal and N500,000 new Customs agents license fees in line with international best practice.

The President of the group, Lucky Amiwero, in the petition, said: “The increase proposed by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) contravenes international best practice on registration, renewal and other professional Licenses in the country.”

He stated that practitioners are currently overburdened with outrageous fees, adding that the licensed Customs agency profession, falls under small scale businesses that is indigenous in nature and self-sustaining.

The petition added that the agents have been struggling to survive, without government assistance.

“Any further increase will affect 90 per cent of the work force in the licensed Customs agent profession nationwide, and a complete shutdown of most agency businesses that are struggling to survive in this difficult economic situation in the country.

“It will eventually create unemployment, security problems around the ports and the concentration of license Customs business in the hands of very few friends of the service,” it stated. (The Guardian)