COVID-19: Custom brokers task FG to strengthen e-Commerce

• Seek Loan For Logistics To Combat Second Wave
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has called on Federal Government to strengthen chords of e-commerce, online transactions, virtual meetings and deploy Internet (IoT) to boost the economy in this second wave of COVID-19.

The association, in a New Year message, signed by its National President, Iju Tony Nwabunike, said: “While we enter 2021, a second wave of COVID-19 has been identified and detected. So, it has become imperative that Nigerians continue to take responsibility and act in line with clearly spelt-out guidelines.

“Being at work and staying compliant with COVID-19 protocols throughout the period others stay at home are functions of individual’s self-discipline, corporate coordination and selflessness. Taking responsibility is aimed at keeping ourselves safe, and avoiding spread of the disease to our loved ones at home and the larger society,” he said.

He extolled brokers and freight forwarders for their individual and collective resilience in keeping the nation’s ports working and chain of commerce unbroken by ensuring circulation of goods and services across the country, even within areas of security concern.

He also commended the professionals for making total logistics chain functional during lockdown and movement restrictions, saying that underscored their relevance as essential service providers.

He commended both brokers and freight forwarders, as pillars of the economy and great contributors to the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP), even when not recognised as such, even in the midst of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Association has called on the Federal Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide special loan scheme to help logistics firms in expanding and maintaining fleet of heavy duty and lighter vehicles required beyond coverage of train services.

The body said it is also ready to interface more strongly with the Bank of Industry (BoI) on the need for the special loan to ensure needed cargoes, including medical supplies, exit the nation’s ports to their destined locations across the country.