BusinessDay 06 April 2018

Friday 06 April 2018
C002D5556
BUSINESS DAY
33
BUSINESS SOUTH-SOUTH
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SOUTH-SOUTH / SOUTH-EAST
Exporters advocate for inclusive non-oil export
participation by Nigeria
…foremost seafood exporter says huge opportunities beckon
BEN EGUZOZIE, Port Harcourt
Last weekend, some exporters
of mainly non-oil
products, promoters of
the trade and those who
are already at different
levels of entering into
the international trade, gathered at a
breakfast meeting at Landmark Hotels,
Port Harcourt, to brainstorm on
issues from huge opportunities that
beckon in export business, as well as
challenges in the export ecosystem
of Nigeria.
A special focus in the morning
event, put together by the Institute
of Export Operations and Management
(IEOM) Nigeria, was on seafood
export – where Princewill Utchay, has
made huge success in seafood export
for more than 25 years – relived his
experience in the business. His PAAB
Seafoods International brand, with
experience in trawling, aqua culture,
processing and marketing of various
seafood products for 28 years, has
carefully played well in the European
seafood market, and is currently succeeding
in the highly strict US seafoods
market, where the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) strictly
scrutinizes such products.
BEN EGUZOZIE, Port Harcourt
The Executive Chairman of the
Rivers State Internal Revenue
Service (RIRS), ThankGod
Adoage Norteh has said the
business community led by the organized
private sector (OPS) is crucial to
achieving the objective of the new online
digital tax management systems,
the Rivers State Tax Management
Information System (RIVTAMIS) and
the Rivers State Tax Identification
Number (RIVTIN).
The RIRS boss gave this indication
while making a presentation
at the 2018 first quarterly members
forum of the Port Harcourt Chamber
of Commerce held at the PHCCIMA
secretariat in Port Harcourt.
He said the private sector, as one of
the major employers of labour, and has
significant expertise and resource at its
disposal to enhance the process, stands
to benefit from a better functioning
public financial management systems.
Adoage Norteh said the OPS can
also help to plug the capacity gap
through greater collaboration with the
Rivers state internal revenue service.
According to him, the new tax reform
packages will enhance business
profile, eliminate multiple taxation,
facilitate the tax payment process,
enhance self-service and improve the
revenue of the state; adding that it will
also help identify formal and informal
businesses across the state and help
the state to utilize the detailed profile
to plan for development.
The RIRS Executive Chairman
noted that with the digital platforms,
Utchay, who was keynote speaker
at the Port Harcourt maiden breakfast
meeting, spoke brilliantly seafoods
export business – and a yawning
need for Nigerians to pool themselves
together – and engage in the trade,
where huge profits; but that it requires
perfection, strictness, extreme hygiene
and all-through ice-cold from
trawling (at ocean) until delivery at
FDA’s certification laboratory, before
grocery shops take their deliveries.
He also spoke on huge opportunities
that abound in export business;
stressing that most Nigerians in
the small and medium businesses
should seriously consider going into
export trade, as it portends the next
economic stay for Nigeria.
Utchay, who is the newly inaugurated
president of Institute of
Export Operations and Management
(IEOM), informed the participants
that up to N500 billion has been
made available by the Nigerian Export-Import
Bank (NEXIM) to assist
exporters undertake credible non-oil
export business.
Ofon Udofia, the executive secretary
and chief executive officer of
IEOM announced earlier that the
export breakfast meeting would be a
quarterly event.
The following persons were
tax payment can be carried out anywhere;
disclosing further that from
1 April, 2018, every business outlet
is required to obtain its RIVTIN for
payment of taxes, levies and fines to
the Rivers State Government; adding
that all banks in the state have been
mobilized to generate RIVTIN for
those who want to make payment to
the state government.
He said the tax payer has a duty to
reciprocate the tax friendliness of the State
Government.
The Special Adviser to the State Government
on ICT, Asawo Ibifuro, who also
is the Managing Director/ CEO of Cinfores
Limited, lead organization in charge of
developing the RIVTAMIS initiative, explained
that RIVTAMIS is an automated
tax process that enhances the ease of doing
business and paying taxes.
inducted as fellows of the IEOM:
Charles Akhigbe, the Managing
Director/ CEO of AMES Edo Inland
Dry Port, with operational facility in
Benin-City; Innocent Akuvue, chairman
of GGI Group Limited; Arthur
Jarvis Archibong, chancellor of Arthur
Jarvis University, first indigenous
private university in Cross River State.
Others are: Anitie Ekpenyong,
chairman and managing director of
Grandtrade Technical Ltd, a registered
exporter with Nigerian Export
Promotions Council, and has established
an export hub; Mike Elechi,
chairman of Vintage Farms Ltd; Solomon
Ezinwoke, a seasoned banker
Business community led by OPS crucial to achieving
RIVTAMIS-RIVTIN initiative – Adoage Norteh
According to him, RIVTAMIS cut out
the troubles of physically visiting the tax office
for every tax-related matter. “You now
have your tax office in the comfort of your
desk or your mobile device.” he explained.
In his remark, the state coordinator of
FIRS in charge of Rivers and Edo states,
Joel Onowapo, represented by Jonathan
Ona, spoke on the Voluntary Assets and
Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS);
saying that VAIDS, which was established
on 1 July 2017, is not a separate
tax, but part of company’s income tax
processes.
President of Port Harcourt Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (PHCCIMA),
Emi Membere-Otaji, said the business
community is delighted by the RIVTA-
MIS innovations, especially in the area
of eliminating multiple taxation and
unfriendly tax administration.
and currently head, Credit Support
department, UBA; Floretta Rogers-
Halliday, the managing director/
CEO Menage Limited, a leading provider
of catering and facility management
services; Emi Membere-Otaji,
president, Port Harcourt Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (PHC-
CIMA); Jenny Shitta-Bey, medical
doctor, with a thriving agric business;
Godfrey Ohuabunwa, MD/CEO of
Multimesh Communications media
group; Daniel Okeke, MD/CEO of
Swiss Spirit Hotel & Suites Danag Ltd,
and Julian Osuji, Vice Chancellor of
Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo,
Cross River State.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
As Nigeria navigates its way out
of the economic recession, a
university don has advocated
increased funding for agriculture
to sustain economic growth
and ensure less dependence on oil
revenue.
Edet Joshua Udoh, a professor of
agricultural economics at the University
of Uyo in his inaugural lecture noted
that increased budgetary allocation to
agriculture would guarantee economic
growth as well as cooperative agriculture
as a means of wealth creation and
poverty alleviation.
Delivering the lecture on the topic
“Ants Bearing the Burden of Elephants:
The paradox” the Udoh described ants
as a metaphor in the guise of farmers
who bear the burden of majority lazy
members of the society but remain
resilient surviving recession in the
economy.
Using socio-economic variables, he
enumerated activities of peasant farmers
who produce enough food to feed
lazy giants, he also commended “market
driven input supply programmes”
as well as increase in budgetary allocation
for Agriculture as means to
keep the “ants” alive so that the burden
from the “Elephants” would not weigh
them down.
Udoh who is the chairman technical
committee on agriculture and food
sufficiency in Akwa Ibom observed
that though food crisis in Nigeria
dates back from 1905, it may escalate
Multi-million Naira
cinema berths in Edo
…uplifts hospitality, entertainment
offering
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, Benin
A
multi-million Naira
cinema to boost hospitality
and entertainment
industry has been commissioned
in Uromi community, the administrative
headquarter of Esan
North- East local government
area of Edo State.
The cinema named Citadel
Cinema is within the premises of
Citadel de Continental Hotel and
Suites, Uromi.
The cinema under the
PATJEDA group of companies
is the first of its kind in Edo
Central and Edo North senatorial
districts as well as second to
Kada cinema to be established in
the state.
Michael Egbadon, Strategy
Partner to PATJEDA group of
companies, in his addres, said
the company’s interest in hospitality
dated back to 2006, when
the management first acquired
acres of land as a potential development
site for citadel hotel.
“The idea is to bring tourism
to our community. You will
agree with me that nightlife
is often considered an urban
indicator and is important to
any city. On the other hand, the
night economy that is club, pubs
and discos. We want Uromi as
our own Lagos, Berlin, Hamburg,
Paris, New York among others,
where you relax, enjoy after a
long day at work.
Don advocates increased funding for
agriculture to sustain economic growth
in 2025 as Nigeria is confronted with
problem of food importation such as
rice, chicken, palm oil warned that
“there will be supply deficit except
peasant farmers neglected by government
are supported through incentive
programmes.”
He identified many factors restricting
farmers to include price fluctuation,
climate change, land allocation;
adding that unless “these issues were
addressed Nigeria will continue to
grapple with the burden of food insufficiency.”
The inaugural lecturer applauded
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa
Ibom State for “agriculture action
plans especially private/public sector
partnership in agriculture, taking
farming as a business and agriculture
revolution implementation strategy.’’
Earlier in his opening remarks,
the vice chancellor of University of
Uyo, Enefiok Essien, a professor,
highlighted the significance of inaugural
lectures saying they provide an
opportunity for scholars to showcase
what they did in research work to
justify their academic mantle.
Essien maintained that the inaugural
lecture is necessary in the
University community as its separates
“men” from “boys” in the academic
environment and reminded other
professors who have not presented
their inaugural lectures to take their
turn while commending Edet Udoh
for the choice of his topic “Ants Bearing
the Burden of Elephants: The
paradox” as he concluded that life is
full of paradox.