The Vice President of the Association of the Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Mr Kayode Farinto has hinted on how the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) may fuel the outspread of the deadly COVID-19 Pandemic in the maritime industry.
Farinto in a chat with our correspondent stated that if there is an outbreak of the novel corona virus in the industry the NCS should be held responsible.
He said the failure of the service to invoke section 28 and 29 of the Customs Excise and Management Act which give Customs the power to invoke the ‘Bill of Sight’ especially at a time when the country is baffling the dreadful pandemic is disturbing.
He said with the Bill of Sight, this will help reduce human contacts which may leads to the outspread of the pandemic in the maritime industry and the entire country at large.
The Bill of Sight is a form of entry at the custom house by which goods respecting which the importer is not possessed of full documentation may be provisionally landed for examination
Farinto said despite letters written to the Secretary General of the Federation and the Minister of Transportation, the Customs Comptroller General has failed to invoke the law, describing the Customs hierarchy as “a set of confused people”.
According to him, “if there is an outbreak of COVID 19 in the maritime industry the NCS should be held responsible, we are in a period of war and we suggested that let us invoke section 28 and 29 of the CEMA law which says that let us use Bill of Sight”, he argued.
Explaining the concept of ‘bill of sight’, Farinto said “it means, if this man is an importer, he has a bill of lading he may not need to go through the process of obtaining a PAAR or Form M, he can go to where ever his cargo his and position his cargo for examination, the valuation unit and all the various unit will look at the examination and the valuation unit will give him a duty to go and pay and he will pay his duty instantly and carry his cargo”.
“ why do they need to invoke the Bill of Sight at this period number one it reduces human contact secondly it will also reduce the number of intervention from customs unit, we get alert from the Nigeria customs controller office, we get alert from the valuation department, alert from CIU alert from Abuja and alert from PCA about seven alert on one cargo and if we are able to achieve this all these will stop, all we need to do is to invoke that section the law is already there based on the fact that we are in a Pandemic period we are invoking section 28 and 29 of the CEMA Act.
“Nobody should do any documentation to reduce human contact, a committee can be setup which can be called Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee at every command level that may comprise the Valuation unit, the CPC and the Gate officer and once the committee treat that job nobody touch the consignment again. But it is not done, customs are still believing that they are pursuing their revenue target and that's why I said if there is an outbreak of COVID 19 in the maritime industry, they (Customs) should be held responsible, because every other department have actually keyed in, except customs.
“We have sent a letter to the SGF; Mr Boss Mustapha that this particular section should be invoked; as I talk to you, nothing has been done about it, we have sent letters to the Minister of Transportation and up till now, nothing has been done about it. I believe that we have a custom management that is high-handed”, he concluded.
Discussion about this post