By Kenneth Jukpor
In a bid to ensure expedite clearance of goods at the ports and in line with the Executive Orders on the Ease of Doing Business at the nation’s ports, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has set up a working committee in collaboration with the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).
This committee was set up to curb the the myriad of challenges facing Customs clearance and other related issues at the ports, when members of NAGAFF paid a courtesy visit to the Zonal Coordinator Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service, ACG Aminu Dahiru, yesterday.
The Founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam made this call while giving an address during the visit. He noted that the committee would enable both organizations address issues such as the frivolous blocking of Freight Forwarders’ licences, persistent interception of cargoes by other units of Customs after the cargoes duly exited the ports, cases of overzealous and corrupt officers as well as freight forwarders, among others.
According to the NAGAFF Founder, the visit was pertinent to cement and build on the existing relationship between NAGAFF and the Zonal Customs Headquarters, especially as the new Coordinator, ACG Aminu Dahiru had enjoyed a positive mutual relationship in his previous positions as Area Controller.
Meanwhile, the President of the Association, Chief Increase Uche during the visit stressed the importance of scanners at the ports as key to faster examination of goods at the ports even as he admonished Customs officers to be upright.
Although Uche expressed gratitude that the ACG granted NAGAFF and opportunity for the courtesy visit at such short notice, he equally seized the opportunity to highlight the trade barriers and other bottlenecks affecting freight forwarding practice in the country.
According to Uche, some of these challenges include; non-compliance to trade rules, disturbing activities of Federal Operations Units (FOU) of Customs, lack of functional scanners, delays in conducting container examinations, port congestion challenges, etc.
He explained that the frequent seizures of goods already cleared at the Lagos ports by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) was not good for the Customs Service because it ridicules the efforts of the initial officers who endorsed the Cargo clearance at the ports.
“It is an aberration for goods to be released by proper custom officers and at the same time seized by the operatives if the FOU. The Customs management has to address such issues, because it isn’t the best for the country”, the President said.
The NAGAFF President also complained of frequent interruption by other agencies like police at the ports, adding that information on such issues is usually being sent to the Customs.
On his part, Dahiru beckoned on NAGAFF to instigate their members to stop initiating corrupt declarations and other fraudulent practices, even as he promised to look into the issue of FOU seizing goods already released by proper Customs officers at the ports.
The ACG also admonished NAGAFF to play the role of a pressure group channel requisite attention to the multifarious areas in need of critical attention at the ports.
On the issue of scanners, he stated that provision of scanners were beyond the Customs responsibility even as he recalled that scanners were introduced initially for security issues before it emerged as a means to ease business procedures.
Dahiru also promised to get in touch with the Customs Area Controllers (CAC) at Tin Can and FOU Ikeja after some freight forwarders complained about the activities at the commands during the interactive session.
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