Maritime expert has called on the Federal Government to cut the tariffs on imported goods.

The Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of King Shipping Trading Maritime Services Limited, Apapa, Lagos Bob Chukwuma Hyacinth, who made the call, said such reduction would check the high cost of living.

Speaking against the backdrop of the battle with the effects of hyperinflation, Hyacinth lamented the alarming rate at which tariffs are imposed on goods.

According to him, the rising tariffs have led to more than a 100 per cent increase in the price of goods and services, thereby impoverishing Nigerians.

“The high tariffs are pushing many people out of business thereby creating more crime and unemployment,” Hyacinth said, warning that the trend, if not checked, could aggravate economic hardship.

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He said: “I’m really concerned, like every other Nigerian, about the high tariffs imposed on imported goods which have led to increase in the price of goods and services. It has been increasing daily, thereby affecting the purchasing power of Nigerians.

“It’s true that the government is doing this to encourage the growth of our local industries but the negative effect has been enormous because, right now, a lot of families cannot afford the necessities of life.

“Right now, many importers are out of business and the few that are still around prefer to route their goods through  Cotonou and Lome which is relatively cheap thereby improving their economies. That’s why I’m appealing to the government to have a second look at this policy.”

He also noted the need for government to make the ports in Rivers, Delta and Cross River functional, adding that this would lessen the burden of importers from the eastern part of the country as well as reduce the stress on the security agencies.

Hyacinth said: “The truth of the matter is that making Onne, Warri and Calabar Ports functional will reduce the congestion at Lagos Ports, enable importers from the East to spend less in clearing and transportation of their containers, reduce pressure on our roads as well as make the work of Custom Officers and other security agents less strenuous.”