A maritime lawyer; Emeka Akabogu last week highlighted some of the challenges faced by freight forwarders and licensed customs agents in the course of discharging their responsibilities as professionals, he also advised them on the need to follow the necessary requirement to meet globally accepted best practices.
Akabogu in his paper presentation at a one day sensitisation seminar put together by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council reiterated that one of the major challenges faced by the operators in the clearance of goods is the unclear and imprecise customs procedures and requirements.
He noted that ‘’uncertainty in the cargo clearance procedure at the ports negatively impacts and tends to frustrate freight forwarding services’’
‘’The multiplicity of government agencies allowed to operate at the ports has not helped the situation either with the introduction of PAAR process by the Nigerian Customs Service which contemplates a single window platform for Cargo clearance , it was hoped the wide scale sharp practices and revenue leakages that characterised the port will be eliminated ‘’.
The maritime lawyer further noted that another challenges faced by the operators is the non- standardisation of shipping companies and terminal operators’ procedures, which according to him, inevitably increases the cost of doing business at the ports and also compels shippers to divert their cargoes to neighbouring ports.
According to him,‘the absence of a standard recognised procedures breeds uncertainty and arbitrariness and make cargo recovery very difficult’’
‘’The result of this is that freight forwarders expend needless efforts, time and recourse in the course of conducting their businesses”.
He explained that freight forwarders find themselves in an awkward position when their clients knowingly withhold vital information about a shipment or insist on pursuing an immoral or fraudulent course of conduct.
Akabogu, who was the event’s lead lecturer maintained that ‘there has been cases where, clients pressure their agents to falsify documents and under declare goods at the ports with a view to minimise the duty payable on them’’.
He also explained some typical complaints against freight agents; which include incompetence on the part of the operator saying that they have been blamed on ignorance of the practice for cargo clearance.
‘’Most of the suspects arrested for under declaration and concealment often claim they did not know what to do and how to do it in line with applicable laws especially the CEMA.
He however posited that inefficiency and dishonesty on the part of the operators are another challenges perceived by their respective principles.
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