There are indications that all may not be well with the newly-introduced Nigeria Customs Integrated System (NICIS) 2 by the Nigeria Customs Service as clearing agents have lamented that the programme has suffered setbacks and that its provisions may have been jettisoned by customs officers.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, Chairman Tin Can Chapter of the International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA); Mr Ojo Akintoye lamented that at Tin Can Island Command, the customs was not implementing NICIS 2 to the letter.
He alleged that after a cargo has been released from the customs system, the customs still goes ahead to place an alert on the cargo, calling for it to be delayed further at the port and incurring demurrage.
He told our correspondent that Customs had assured stakeholders that with the NICIS 2 implementation; all data have been imputed into the system including value of cargoes. Akintoye said that customs had also assured them that soon, there is going to be a uniformed value on cargoes, especially vehicles.
He however lamented that “what they want to do is to ensure that all the commands are connected to NICIIS 2, after this, the uniform value would come in. but what we are saying for now is that, after releasing a cargo, there should not be alert, you are the one that said you have an idea of prices of cargoes from abroad, that you have access to the dealers and the manufacturers, you have given that value through PAAR, some of the value have been appraised in the processing of the PAAR, after the PAAR has been used for payment by the importer through his agents, customs still place an alert on the job”, he said.
Some other hiccups according to stakeholders include delay in the process of entry and issuance of passwords to applicants.
The service earlier in the year launched the platform, which took off at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) area in Lagos, even as it is being installed at all commands where revenues are collected into the coffers of the federal government.
NICIS 2 is an advanced version of ASUCYDA plus from the customs single window portal.
Meanwhile, in a separate chat with Shipping Position Daily at Tin Can Command last week, image maker of the Nigeria customs, Uche Ejesieme noted that whatever hiccup experienced with NICIIS 2 were not peculiar to Tin Can Island command alone, but to all other commands where revenues are collected.
Uche said despite the minor challenges associated with the system, the command was able to collect N76 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
“The advantages outweighs the demerits, you can see that in the first quarter, it made our revenue to jump up, in the records of Tin Can which we are privileged to see from statistics, it has never been so good for us to rake in N76billion against Apapa 81billion, knowing full well that Apapa is the premier port
“This is also considering the fact that the first quarter is always synonymous with low volume of trade, yet we are able to make N76billion. This is one of the big advantages of NICIIS 2, it made our revenue to jump up and we are very hopeful that all things being equal barring unforeseen circumstances, we would be recording 1.6 to 1.8billion on daily basis. As for April revenue, I am sure we would have up to N30.5billion”
Ejesieme told our correspondent that NICIIS 2 has narrowed the gap for any infractions from both sides because it comes with Biometrics, “As the releasing officer, whatever you signed on, you would not say that you were coerced, it must be with your full consent”
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