Economy bleeding from importation of sub-standard goods — SON
The Director-General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Farouk Salim, has exclaimed that the country’s economy is lagging behind as a result of high importation of sub-standard goods into the country.
The SON DG said this at a stakeholders’ sensitisation forum which took place in Lagos with the theme “Standards Save Lives, Grow Economy.”
The DG said that the country cannot move forward if importers continue with their manner of transporting sub-standard goods into the country.
He stated that when SON ceases such sub-standard goods, it is for the common good of the importer, expressing that local industries, citizens and infrastructure will be affected by such imports.
He lamented that in Nigeria, sellers of such goods and importers are but tracked, arrested and dragged to court.
He, therefore, persuaded the stakeholders to have sincere engagement with genuine businessmen to bring standard products into the country, expressing that if sub-standard goods will destroy local manufacturers and industries.
The Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Kayode Farinto, contributed that there is a need to return SON back to the seaports, if the country will win the battle against the importation of low standard goods.
Farinto while delivering a topic: “Juxtaposing Substandard Imports; SON’s Absence At Seaport,” said even though agency has left the ports a few years ago, imports of sub-standard goods still have witnessed tremendous increase and this among other reasons had shown that there is need to reverse the executive order if the country must conquer the fight against the importation of sub-standard goods in the country.
The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Rev. Emma Agunbaze, persuaded with SON to have engagement with stakeholders more, elucidating that stakeholders’ engagement would is a means towards lasting solution.
Source: The Informant247 Naija News
