The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has denied ever granting duty waivers or recommending exceptions for rice importers contrary to stories making the rounds.

According to the minister, who appeared before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on Tuesday, it is rather some smart importers that attempted to circumvent government’s rice production policy by importing huge quantities of the commodity in excess of their approved quota.

“Nigeria is not a banana republic; we have laws here and the laws must work.

“All duties and levies must be paid to the last kobo. Importers must pay the appropriate duties,” the minister declared.

Speaking on the policy, Adesina said its aim was to cut imports and encourage local production of rice by allocating quotas to importers, adding that the policy also provided that any importer who chooses to import more than its allotted quota would have to pay 70 per cent of duties and levies to the Federal Government.

He told the lawmakers that some importers did not only breach their quotas, they also failed to pay the duties for the excess imports.

It will be recalled that the House of Representatives had constituted the Leo Ogor led ad hoc committee to probe alleged fraud being perpetrated by rice importers who have failed to pay their due duties and levies to government. The minister was equally accused of aiding the non-payment of duties and levies and that he also granted waivers to the importers.

Adesina however declared that he had been “transparent so far” with the rice policy, adding that the companies simply went ahead to import rice in excess of their quota even before the approval.

He also informed the committee that he got to understand later that the importers had an agreement with the Nigeria Customs Service to pay the duties and levies on the excess imports.

He said: “Some imported 100,000 metric tonnes; 300,000 above their quotas. This is now the duty of the Customs; I set the policy but I don’t collect the money. They should have paid for the excess import even before taking the rice out of the ports,” adding that he was surprised that he was being given a bad name even when the applicable rules were quite explanatory. This, he said, made him direct all those concerned to pay all outstanding levies.

“I don’t know why the hunter has become the hunted. On January 2, 2015, I directed that companies must pay the N36bn. I told the Customs in a letter to apply the duties accordingly”, Adesina added.

The former minister observed that the importers were afraid that if the progress being made continued “this way in the next two years, these companies fear that they will be out of business.”