More than one week after the Nigeria Customs Service beat a retreat over the controversial duty benchmark, information from various commands; especially in Lagos indicate that there are palpable fears among licensed customs agents, even as our findings revealed that some commands are yet to revert to the old system of declaration of consignments.
More than one week after the Nigeria Customs Service beat a retreat over the controversial duty benchmark, information from various commands; especially in Lagos indicate that there are palpable fears among licensed customs agents, even as our findings revealed that some commands are yet to revert to the old system of declaration of consignments.
Although, top customs officers who spoke to our correspondents last week were reluctant about compliance with the new directive, never-the-less, some licensed customs agents told our correspondents that, “some commands still use benchmark”.
Also, some licensed customs agents told our correspondents that their importers are jittery over what they described as the threat from the Customs hierarchy to the effect that extant sections of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) will be enforced to ensure that correct declarations and correct duties are paid by importers.
On Friday last week, a licensed customs agent, Mr Frank Aliakor confirmed that customs officers have refused to stop benchmark. “Custom is supposed to have returned to the status quo, but we find out that they have not, they are still referring to your document that is with them and insisting on using the benchmark”, he alleged.
“Also, they are now trying to capitalize on what we call excess cargo, for example, maybe you declared 1, 500 cartons of goods and on examination, it turned out to be in excess of 200 cartons, they are insisting that they must seize the whole goods, and this is not usually supposed to be so, some of our members have come to complain of such – handedness”, he lamented.
And confirming the possibility of ‘mass seizure’ of goods, the founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Boniface Aniebonam told Shipping Position Daily that “Customs will have no choice than to seize any goods that contravene the provisions of CEMA, specifically, sections 46, 47 and 146 stipulates what the penalty for concealment, under declaration and other shall be”.
According to him, one of the good things about the benchmark that a lot of those who were opposed to it didn’t know was that it is beneficial to the importer. “Rather than seize your goods, the Customs offers a window that makes it possible for the importer to escape the arm of the law and some people who don’t even clear any cargo are saying it is unacceptable, those who are actively engaged in importation did not say that benchmark should be abolished, rather Thayer asked for more time and for more education”, he pointed out.
Dr Aniebonam also alerted that the following months may witness seizures of consignments as the Customs has been told to enforce the CEMA.
Although, our correspondents could not confirm any increase in the volume of seizures, spokespersons of customs in at least two commands in Lagos said things were going on harmoniously.
The public relations officer at Tin Can Island command, Mr Chris Osunkwo explained that both Customs and licensed customs agents “are working according to the directive from the headquarters, there have been no hitches and no complaints so far, the agents are complying here in Tin Can”.
His counterpart at the PTML command Mr Chinedu Ogbonna also confirmed that there no problems or complaints and that there has not been anything unusual.
But another frontline licensed customs agent, Mr Abdulazeez Akanji told Shipping Position Daily that there have been moves by some importers to commence patronage of neighbouring, while some have resulted to smuggling when the Customs introduced benchmark.
According to him, “now that Customs has suspended the benchmark, many of them are yet to be informed, so that they will divert their cargoes back through the ports and approved routes.
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