Fresh indications have emerged that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) any moment from now would embark on categorisation of freight forwarders in Nigeria.
A member of the Governing Board of CRFFN, Dr. Kayode Farinto who gave the indication in Lagos last week hinted that the essence of the categorisation is to separate licensed customs agents from freight forwarders, chandlers and transporters whom according to him are all lumped together in the CRFFN.
Farinto, Vice President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) also disclosed that the CRFFN is proposing a Bill with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to punish any licensed customs agent who facilitate importation of substandard cargoes.
He also disclosed other plans of the Council to include; indigenization of customs brokerage practice in Nigeria. Ultimately, he said this is to ensure that customs brokerage remains an exclusive right of Nigerians, and to prevent foreigners who currently flood Nigerian ports doing the work of indigenes
According to him, "at the CRFFN, we are proposing to do something which is called categorisation, this means that if I am not a transporter, I should be able to define my role, a freight forwarder should be separated from a custom broker, a custom broker should be separated from a transporter, a transporter should be separated from somebody who is a ship chandler and someone doing warehousing, we shouldn't be confused about it, you must be a professional for you to be a licensed customs agent"
"In the CRFFN, we are proposing a Bill to collaborate with SON in order to churn out stiffer penalty for licensed customs agents who facilitate clearance of substandard goods out of Nigerian ports, you would not be able to renew your licensed and you would be blacklisted from the port"
"The other one is to ensure that we indigenize customs brokerage in our country and restrict Indians and Lebanese from practicing at our ports"
Farinto also kicked against the licensing of individuals as a 'declarant' to carry out custom brokerage at the ports.
He said that the level of integrity of Nigerians doing the business is not yet satisfactory, adding that all over the world, corporate entities are the only ones allowed to make declaration for customs purposes.
"It is only a corporate body that can be regarded as a 'declarant' for customs purpose, Section 156 of CEMA says if you are not a declarant and you are claiming to be, it says there is penalty for you. A level of integrity has not gotten to the level whereby we can make an individual a declarant"
"There are many Kayode in Alagbon, there are many Ugochukwu in Oshodi, but if you are AYZ Nigeria Limited, there would be a board of directors and that is what customs is saying", he argued.
"By virtue of the customs and excise management Act, Section 153, 154 and 156, corporate bodies in Nigeria are declarants. However there is a provisor, by virtue of the World Customs Organisation handbook which says that, for the declarant, it depends on the National Legislation of that country, in Nigeria and virtually all countries in the whole world, declarant' are corporate entities", he said.
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