industry
PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, February 8, 2019
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SON strategy to rid economy of counterfeiters in 2019
SON officials clamping down on manufacturers of substandard concrete electric poles in PortHarcourt October, 2018 By Miriam Humbe
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ounterfeiters and purveyors of substandard and lifeendangering products have the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON), Nigeria stakeholders and consumers as whistleblowers to contend with. All Standards infractions shall be duly prosecuted with support from the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Also, persistent organisations and individuals will be blacklisted in Nigeria and country of origin of the substandard products. This is the direct warning emanating from the office of the Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON); Mr. Osita Aboloma. Counterfeiters have continued to threaten Nigeria’s n annual revenue base in billions of naira. With this stern forewarning, 2019 may not be a very pleasant year for counterfeiters operating across various sectors of the economy. What is counterfeiting According to en.wikipedia. com, counterfeit consumer goods are goods, often of inferior quality, made or sold under another’s brand name without the brand owner’s authorization. Counterfeiters can include producers, distributors or retail sellers. Sellers of such goods may infringe on either the trademark, patent or copyright of the brand owner by passing off its goods as made by the brand owner. Counterfeit products made up 5 to 7% of world trade in 2013, and in 2014 cost an estimated 2.5 million jobs worldwide, with up to 750,000 jobs lost in the U.S. About 5% of goods imported into the European
Union in 2013 were fakes, according to the OECD. Less developed countries have also been inundated with counterfeit products. Growing over 10,000% in the last two decades, counterfeit products exist in virtually every industry sector, including food, beverages, apparel, accessories, footwear, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electronics, auto parts, toys, and currency. The spread of counterfeit goods is worldwide, with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in 2008 having estimated the global value of all counterfeit goods at $650 billion annually, increasing to $1.77 trillion by 2015. Countries including the U.S., Italy and France are among the hardest hit, as their economies thrive on producing high-value products, protected by intellectual property rights and trademarks. By 2017, the U.S. alone was estimated to be losing up to $600 billion each year to counterfeit goods, software piracy and the theft of copyright. According to reports, Nigeria loses an estimated N15 billion annually to fake or counterfeit products in terms of tax revenue to the government, income to local manufacturers and employment generation to Nigerians. Aims of the Nigerian Industrial Standards For clarity, the aims and objectives of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON ) include preparation of standards relating to products, measurements, materials and processes among others, and their promotion at the national, regional and international levels; certification of industrial products; assistance in the
production of quality goods; improvement of measurement accuracies and circulation of information relating to standards. A Nigerian Industrial Standard is a precise and authoritative document established by consensus and approved by the Nigerian Standards Council prescribing necessary criteria to ensure that a material, product or procedure is fit for the purpose of which it is intended. The NIS falls into categories namely, terminology standards, dimensional standards, performance standards, testing standards, product standards, codes of practice, process standards, service standards and measurement standards. Clamping down on offenders Although operating on a broad mandate including the SON’s Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, (MANCAP), SON Conformity Assessment Programme, (SONCAP) and Laboratory services, among others; the Organisation has been resolutely working to ensure that the nation’s manufacturing industries conform to the Nigerian Industrial Standards, (NIS), another core mandate of the SON intended to ensure the safety of the consumers and growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, (GDP). This is evident in the clamping down on some factories across the country with particular reference to the past year, 2018 where the SON has been barking and biting at the same time. SON sealed four warehouses in Idu Market, Abuja over substandard aluminum roofing sheets, busted substandard paint syndicate in Porth-Harcourt, clamped down
on substandard concrete electric poles in Port-Harcourt, partnered maritime operators to eliminate substandard imports and confiscated substandard goods worth N22.7bn in the out-gone year 2018, among others. NIS Implementation SON’s Technical Assistant/ Head, Public Relations, Bola Fashina while speaking exclusively on behalf of the Director General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, said that the “implementation of the NIS is a requirement of the law as enshrined in the SON Act No. 14 of 2015. It is being implemented via the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Program for locally manufactured products. This is done through quarterly factory inspections, product sampling, testing, feedbacks, certification and authority to use the quality marks. “Conversely, the Nigeria Industrial Standards are the benchmarks used for the offshore Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) for imported products into Nigeria from every part of the world. The program is implemented on SON’s behalf by Independent Accredited Firms namely Intertek, SGS, Cotecna, Bureau Veritas, China Standard Inspection Company Ltd., China Certification and Inspection Group. The Program is implemented under the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) involving the CBN, all Banks, Nigeria Customs Service and other maritime agencies and Stakeholders”. Benefits of NIS implementation Benefits derived from implementing the Standards are: Standards serve as a guide for meeting minimum specifications in production of goods and services, they provide useful tools in quality assurance, safety assurance, waste management and cost reduction and Standards provide the basis for trade transactions.
To ensure best practices, SON provides technical advice to industries on quality management and quality systems to facilitate efficient implementation of standards. With the vision ‘To improve life through standardisation and quality assurance’, SON’s defined mission ‘To promote consumer confidence and global competitiveness of Nigerian products and services through standardisation and quality assurance’ places Standards and standardisation activities as key drivers of business across all sectors of the economy. SON’s focus in 2019 Mr. Fashina listed SON’s areas of focus in the current year to among others, include; Improved digitalization of SON Services to reduce turnaround time, human interactions and provide faster and more efficient services in line with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business initiatives. . Massive infrastructural development including equipping of Laboratories, provision of permanent office accommodation and infrastructure, increasing the scope of services already internationally accredited and accreditation of other service offerings. . Improved collaboration with stakeholders in the fight against the influx and circulation of substandard and life-endangering products. . Improved prosecution of Standards infractions in line with the SON Act No. 14 of 2015 and the criminal code. . Increased manpower development to update the knowledge and capacities of the staff nationwide. The World Bank, its annual Global Economic Prospects has estimated that Nigeria’s GDP growth will expand by 2.2 per cent in 2019, slightly upgrading the country’s projected growth rate from 2.1 per cent in June 2018. To enable Nigeria achieve this, the SON’s resolve to be upbeat in its mandate is not misplaced
PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, February 8, 2019
Bwari: Despair as traders beg FCTA to wade into revenue crisis By Stanley Onyekwere
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ome traders in Bwari Area Council have urged the leadership of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to wade into the crisis between them and the area council authorities over tenant rate faceoff, causing despair among stakeholders. The traders in separate interaction with journalists within Bwari, Kubwa and other areas recently, decried that the bad state of revenue structure in place had rendered revenue staff of the council jobless as well as inflicted hardship on the traders.
One of the traders and financial treasure for Private School Owners Association, Pastor Samuel Ocheja, said they were ready to support the council in all legitimate revenue collection but she said the present situation of using consultant for tenant rate was unbecoming. Ocheja however regretted that despite the banned by House of Representatives for the use of consultants as contractors, taskforce or non -revenue officials in the assessment and collection of taxes and levies across FCT councils, Bwari council still insist on it. According to Ocheja, “This
use of consultant is bringing more hardship on the revenue generation of the council, especially 2017 and 2018 where the revenue accrued to the council dropped over 200%, in February 9, 2028. “The business operators within Bwari and Kubwa and its environs accused the authority of taxing them twice in respect of tenement rate. “We suspected fruad as one of the reasons for the double taxation especially with the activity of a revenue firm called MACREC Trust International Limited engaged on 10th February, 2016 by the past
administration. “The consulting firm was supposed to be restricted only to the provision of data for tenement rate to enable the council revenue staff to do the collection and generation drive.” Meanwhile, Joseph Iya described it as a total violation of the House of Representatives directives, saying the was unbecoming that the staff of the consultant override the instruction of the council officials especially that of the chief revenue officer, Maimuma Bage. He explained that early in 2018, one Mr Kehinde Vincent, supporting the council to carry out
their legitimate task was attacked by some staff of the consulting firm whose office is located along PW market, leaving him in serious fracture on his right leg. A staff of Bwari Area Council, who don’t want his name mentioned said the ‘disturbing firm’ contract will be expire by February 10th, 2019, saying it should be address before it will bring set back as experienced in year 2017/2018. When contacted, the chief revenue officer for Bwari Area Council, Hajia Maimuna Bage said: “The issue is beyond me, the council chairman is the right person to end the matter.” End
Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo with the family of Alhaji Abdul Rasaq and Hajia Raliah Abdul-Rasaq, during his COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FAMILY CHATS on Wednesday in Asokoro Abuja. Photo: Vice President’s Office.
1,000 clerics rally in Abuja for Buhari By Stanley Onyekwere
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Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Aboloma
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o fewer than 1,000 clerics yesterday rallied in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in forthcoming general elections. The clergymen under the umbrella of National Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROP), declared that Buhari was anointed to lead, hence should be given the necessary support to fulfill the prophecy. The inter-father body therefore, called on Abuja residents and other citizens not to disrupt the flow of God’s blessing to the land. Speaking during the grand rally, President of NIFROP, Bishop Sundy Garuba, said aside the rally, they had been led by the
spirit to hold forty days of fasting and prayer. He explained that Buhari-led government has been winning the war against insurgency and should be allowed to continue the task for another four years. According to him, “In the course of this exercise, undertaken on behalf of the nation, it was revealed to us that President Buhari is God’s anointed to lead Nigeria to greater heights. “The Lord revealed to us concerning Nigeria that “(Philippians 1:6) being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” “It is in similar fashion that we came to the realization that President Buhari, who began many good things in the interest of Nigeria, will continue to
improve on the good things he is doing for the country during his second term in office as ordained by God. “We consequently relayed the message to Nigerians not to disrupt the flow of God’s blessing to the land, which requires that the person already anointed to lead the country, in the person of President Buhari, is allowed to continue running the errand God has sent him. “At the end of the forty days of fasting and prayers, we relayed this message to Nigerians so that they will be guided when the time comes to cast their votes. “But we have seen that the devil is hard at work trying to get Nigerians to violate the instruction given unto them as to who to elect. It is for this reason that we have decided to rally for President Buhari.”
He continues: “We are more than 1,000 clerics across faiths and denominations. “We are apolitical and only delivered this message concerning President Buhari for it what our maker has collectively instructed us to do and we cannot do otherwise lest we attract wrath unto ourselves. “The leadership style of President Buhari as defender of all faiths, ordained to save our religions, is the source of the newfound cohesion that has toned down the tendency for religion to be the source of strife among communities. “The naysayers may argue it but Nigeria is on the way to recording fewer and fewer instances of sectarian strife until the larger population of Nigeria will enjoy the kind of cordial relations we have at NIFROP. “In line with the injunctions
of our various faiths that require of us to cater for the vulnerable, President Buhari has shown that it is possible to the poor and the needy that they do not have to live in abject poverty through his social security programmes, in keeping with the divine instruction not to neglect the needy. “We stand on the revelation given to us by God; and on this note appeal to the electorates to ward off evil from Nigeria by aligning with God’s will by voting President Buhari to continue with the work that has been entrusted to him. “We are aware that the opposition has been making false claims to present themselves as the ones destined to take Nigeria to a greater height and that they can liberate Nigerians but we know this for what it is.”