The Association of Indigenous Seafood Stakeholders says the
country loses N9 billion revenue annually to illegal fish importation and
smuggling.
The association’s national chairman, Mr Lamina Rasheed,
disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Rasheed said that the members of the association paid import
duty of 14 per cent, which amounted to millions of naira to the Federal
Government while the illegal importers paid next to nothing through the land
borders.
According to him, it is difficult to compete with them in
the market because these illegal importers slash their prices to the detriment
and loss by the genuine fish dealers.
He frowned at the development which he said had discouraged
so many genuine importers and local fish farmers across the country.
The chairman appealed to the Federal Government to expedite
action toward setting up a task force that would stop the illegal importation
of fish and other sea foods into the country.
Source: Guardian.ng
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