The Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) command of the Nigeria Customs Service is set to suspend 243 clearing licenses for infractions in duty payment to customs over several containers they had cleared between 2014 and 2016.
The information which was pasted at the command and sighted by Shipping Position Daily yesterday was issued by the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) department of the command.
Our correspondent learnt that the customs has already started blocking licenses of some notable names on the list for not paying the actual value of duty for the consignment they cleared at the command.
According to details released by the customs, some of the agencies and their consignees were owing customs as much as between N14million and N15million as unpaid duty which are yet to be reconciled.
The message reads: "The following consignee and declarant should report to PCA unit at PTML Customs in respect of differences in their SGD and PAAR values within seven days"
"Failure to do so will compel the service to suspend both the consignee and the declarant from ASYCUDA platform".
Some of the 243 licenses on the list were; Pajerry Nigeria Limited, Chrisben, Tripple Kay, Fountain Olives, Edlyna Ventures Limited, Eliton, Citi-Ade Nigeria Limited, Vester Lee Nigeria Limited, Walin Waziri and Sons Investments, Dabra Freight, Hont Global.
Double Crown Services, DHL Global Forwarding Limited, MGM Logistics, Ben Moore, Bolagbade Nigeria Limited, Efglo Nigeria, Maritime Solutions, Trans Atlantic Nigeria Limited, AAA Logistics Limited among others.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, one of the affected clearing agent (names withheld) condemned the move by the Post Clearance Audit department, describing it as an illegality.
According to him, the major function of the PCA is to check cargoes that are on Customs fast track scheme and not on regular cargoes.
"When cargoes that enjoy fast track arrives the port, they are not usually checked, they are supposed to exit to the owners warehouses, it is the duty of the PCA to go to the warehouse and perform examination on the cargoes"
"When the importer and the customs do not agree on the duty paid, then customs will issue them a notice to pay the outstanding duties"
"But it is wrong for PCA to go after cargoes that has been fully examined and released by proper officers at the command"
"The PCA were not at the port during examination, so they cannot fault any cargoes that has been released from the port for discrepancy in duty payment" he said
Recall that the command had in May 2016 released 75 names of defaulting clearing agents and companies who have allegedly failed to pay monetary difference on duty on the cargoes that they had cleared from the port between January to December 2015.
The information was released by the head of PTML Customs Post Clearance Audit (PCA), Assistant Controller Naigwan C.K on 27th of April 2016.
Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Steve Okonmah said there were infractions in the jobs cleared at the port with these practising licenses. He said that a Debit Note (DN) would be raised for any of the defaulters that shows up at the unit within the time frame given. He however warned that those that fail to come forward will be blocked.
"The Post Clearance Audit Unit are to carry out post mortem, so there must have been an infraction and the first thing is to invite them to come and explain, if they come forward, a DN will be raised for them to pay". "Failure to pay this difference will lead to their licenses being shut down, it was the license that was used to clear the job, if you are invited and you refuse to come, the next thing is to force you to come by blocking your license" Okonmah had said.
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