The National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) has raised alarm over what it described as long list of cargoes that require End User Certificate before clearance.
The association is joining its voice to that of freight forwarders who have accused officers of the Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of frustrating importers, by extending the demand for the certificate to many categories of cargoes.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily in Apapa on Wednesday, the president of NAFFAC, Mr. Yinka Bakare said that items on the list are too many.
He argued that, “honestly speaking it is a long list, even products that you don’t even imagine that it is on the list, they are all there and that is another area that we are fighting, the list is very long. Some things could actually be removed from the list; we have over 200 items on the list”.
Bakare nevertheless said that the security situation in the country led to the idea of demanding for the certificate by the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“It is something we have been arguing for some time now, but honestly looking at the situation of the country now, you will see that what gave birth to the certificate is the importation of products that could be used to manufacture explosives; that is the cause for End User Certificate, it is not just certificate for any other thing”
There could be products that could be used for the manufacturing of explosives, so because of that, the idea of End User Certificate is to know who is using the products that are being brought in”, he acknowledged.
The NAFFAC boss who blamed the development on ignorance on the part of some importers however advised that the process of getting the certificate should start before they(importers) commence the shipment of cargoes from the ports of origin, adding that the certificate takes longer time to be processed.
Explaining further, he said, “We have been taking this up for some time now and we have got to know that it is something that takes time, because it is not being issued by customs, it is issued by the National Security Adviser (NSA). And before NSA will approved they still send it back to state security service for their own underground finding about the end user. So, until those ones send the report back to NSA, they will not do anything, so it takes about six months, so you have to start applying before importing the goods”
“Those Saying Customs Should Stop Demanding End User Certificate Are Not Professional Freight Forwarders” —Aniebonam
The Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Bonniface Aniebonam has lampooned clearing agents who have accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) of demanding for the End User Certificate before certain goods are cleared, he said they are non-professional freight forwarders.
Speaking with our correspondent recently, the NAGAFF founder said the demand for end user certificate before certain goods are cleared is not against the law,
According to him, “those who are saying why NSA or customs should not be requesting for end user certificate must have been talking from lack of knowledge, what do they know about CEMA.
“It means that the particular person telling you that is not a professional freight forwarder, if he is, he would have known his limitations. In the first instance, the responsibility of the customs is very clear, as an agency of the government they enforce regulation and their job is to implement the laws as it is stated in the Customs Excise and Management Act (CEMA); when you look at sections 4 and 5, the power of the board to give direction and the best approach is to implement the CEMA for the good of the greater numbers, in terms of threat and of course excise duty.
“Now, if that is the case, they mention the office of the NSA who is the chief security adviser to Mr. President who issues all those certificates, the end user certificate has to do with security matters. As you could see the nature of the country when you look at the security via explosives, so they want to know what you want to use what you are bringing in to do” he said.
But, while giving reasons as to why the Customs is demanding for End User Certificate, the Customs Public Relations Officer at the Tin Can Island Command, Superintendent Uche Ejieseme told our correspondent that the service is demanding for End User Certificate in other to regulate and ensure that some items that come into the country comply with the extant laws.
According to him “It is not the Nigeria Customs Service that actually issues end user certificate, our job is just to regulate and ensure that any item that requires end user certificate complies with the extant laws.
“For instance, if you are bringing in an armoured vehicle, the law requires very explicitly that you must come with end user certificate and to me, I believe that the essence of this is to ensure that these things don’t get to the hands of criminal elements to use as shield when penetrating havoc, the same applies to chemicals used for explosive devices.
“So government decides to place the end user to be esure that these kind of products does not get into the hands of criminal element.
“Government decides to bring the end user certificate just for security reasons, because if they don’t do that, the level of insecurity would have doubled or escalate.
“So if you bring an item that does not require end user certificate, nobody will ask you for end user certificate and the issue of insecurity is a global phenomenon”
Now if that is the case, they mention the office of the NSA which issues all those certificates, the end user certificate has to do with security matters’ as you can see, the nature of the country when you look at the security via explosives, so they want to know what you want to use what you are bringing in to do.
So the end user certificate simply means who is the end user, who is the person importing such items, because some chemicals can be used in the manufacturing of explosives, they are not saying you should not bring it in, but they want to know what you intend to do with that and if you an authorized person to use the material, they will give you for the end user certificate”, he explained
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