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By Kenneth Jukpor
As part of efforts to limit the fiscal losses resulting from depleted consignments from unreturned samples, the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has stressed the need to emphasize ‘returnable samples’ in the new Customs law.
The Vice President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto made this observation while engaging journalists at the ANLCA National Secretariat, yesterday.
According to the ANLCA Vice President, Nigerian importers lose upto one-third of their imports to unreturned collected by Customs officers and other government agencies involved in the examination of the cargoes.
His words: “We have got to a situation where every unit of Customs would like to pick samples of goods being cleared from the ports. For example, Valuation, CIU, the man that eventually does the releasing has a unit and the DC Enforcement also has one; by the time to consignment is released we are delivering two-third of the container or half of the container. Over seven units of Customs collect samples and this affects the importer’s investment.”
“We are saying that once a Customs officer picks a sample during the examination, it should be described as ‘returnable samples’ so that we can end the unpalatable trend which sees an importer’s consignment shared like he is ‘Father Christmas’.”
The veteran freight forwarder also stressed the need for a practicing freight forwarder to represent the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) on the Governing Board of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
“We looked at the CRFFN Governing Council which comprises over 30 members. 17 members are appointed from the Federal Ministry of Transport, Finance Ministry and other government appointees and chambers of commerce. So, if CRFFN would have to select two members as representatives on the Customs board, we are saying that these representatives should be practicing freight forwarders.”
“The idea is to have those that thoroughly understand Customs activities represent freight forwarders on the Customs board. We shouldn’t have an appointee with limited knowledge of the Service representing freight forwarders. If we don’t have this clause, we could have situations where a Transport Ministry Director or an academician ends up being CRFFN representative on the Customs board. Such a person can’t represent freight forwarders well because he doesn’t fully understand the practice,” he said.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the ANLCA BoT, Prince Ozor Chukwura assured that the board has been playing its role as enshrined in the ANLCA constitution.
Chukwura encouraged ANLCA members not to be perturbed by the activities of the expelled ANLCA members who have continued to see themselves as Governing Board members of the association.
He, however, expressed optimism that the current board would soon obtain its certificate from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Also speaking at the press conference, the National Secretary of ANLCA, Mr. Babatunde Mukaila explained that CAC documents given to the previous BoT members have been withdrawn following their expulsion from the association.
Mukaila also posited that CAC registration isn’t a hindrance to the ANLCA BoT’s activities, adding that it only provides for a legal backing to sue and be sued.
