The Federal Government will cut down on the level of goods imported into the country with a view to increasing the nation’s industrial output and export potentials, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Achike Udenwa has said.
Addressing heads of parastatal of the ministry yesterday in Abuja, the minister listed the three measures as goals he intend to pursue in order to meet the objectives of his ministry.
He said, “I’m sure that if we can achieve these three goals, we will be able to meet our overall objectives. They are simple but call for very good plans and not just that, but well monitoring and execution.”
Chief Udenwa said it is a known fact that imports flows into the country legally and illegally with the activities of smugglers, adding that though they are not custom officials, but will ensure that it is cut down.
“How these are to be done is the question that should border all of us. I’ll like us to within the period of this interaction to find answers to these questions.”
He said there is no parastatal within the ministry that does not in one way or the other complement what they have put down adding that the three goals is for all of them to achieve.
He warned the heads of the parastatals not to behave as if they are on their own saying that all of them most work towards achieving the common goals.
He explained that henceforth, the ministry must know the programmes each of the parastatal is doing within a given time frame either on quarterly or annual basis.
“We must be very clear on your programmes and there will be standard against which we can measure your programmes,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the head of parastatals, the Director General of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Ass. Prof. Longmas Wapmuk, said they have noted the three goals set for the ministry and assure the minister that they will all work towards achieving them.