The Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II has reaffirmed his support on the recent land border closure by the Federal government describing the FG’s decision as to the only way to enforce the nation’s anti-smuggling laws.
The Emir made this known while briefing newsmen at his palace in Kano on Wednesday on the recent appointments into the national economic advisory council made by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, the high incident of tax evasion recorded is as a result of the nation’s porous land borders which have been turned into escape routes from excise duties and tariffs including diversion of petroleum products from the country.
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If you remember when the president came to Kano on an official visit I actually talk about closing the borders with the Republic of Benin. I always felt that if you really want to enforce laws that you have against smuggling you need to close borders, you have petroleum products moving basically across the borders from Nigeria to neighbouring countries because of our fuel subsidies. You have goods coming in across the border using the port in Cotonou to avoid tax revenues in Lagos; so what happens is we don’t get the revenue from duties and tariffs and then we end up having the goods coming in anyway,” said the Emir.
Speaking on the new economic advisory council the Emir commended the president for choosing competent hands to serve in his economic advisory team, describing the team as the first-class group of professionals.
“If you look at the kind of system we operate, if you look at the United States, every US president always has a council of economic advisers, and one of the reasons you have that council is you could want independent academics who are able to give you frank and honest advice on how to run the economy and address its problems,” he said.
