By Kunle Adeliyi
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has appealed to the Federal Government to refrain from carrying out the proposed merger of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
This plea was contained in a letter signed by the Chambers National President, Mr. Dele Kelvin Oye and addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The body said while it commends the pro-business policies being implemented by the present administration, “we strongly advise against the proposed merger as it would negatively impact the ease of doing business in Nigeria”
NACCIMA in the correspondence explained that the execution of the mandates of each agency would be adversely affected which may lead to confusion, reduced efficiency and hindered business operations.
“With Nigeria already facing several challenges in improving the ease of doing business, we urge the government to refrain from implementing the merger proposal until wider consultation with industry experts and stakeholders in the Organised Private Sector (OPS) of Nigeria has been carried out”, NACCIMA said.
The body enjoined the Federal Government to engage in further consultation with industry stakeholders in order not to take decisions that would adversely affect the growth of the economy, revenue generation and maritime safety.
NACCIMA recommended that the consultation process should include studying best practices for merging government agencies from other countries.
According to the body, “This will ensure that Nigeria can proceed with a comprehensive understanding of not just the potential negative impacts of the merger, but also the best methods for mitigating those impacts and maximizing the potential benefits”.
NACCIMA, however, stated that as experts, it remained committed to providing constructive advice and collaborating with the government to improve the business environment in Nigeria.
