By Oluyinka Onigbinde
Stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry have alleged that the return of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to the seaport will enhance sharp practices and as well jeopardize the single window plan of the Federal Government.
Shipping Position Daily reports that in 2017, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in the process of implementing the Executive Order on ease of doing business issued by then-acting President; Yemi Osinbajo, ordered SON and other related agencies that were affected to immediately vacate all seaports across the country.
However, the Director-General of SON; Farouk Salim, had said last month while speaking with journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja that the organization has been given temporary approval to return to the seaports.
He had said: “Yes we have been temporarily allowed to be in the ports now and we are currently working with the Customs, Nigeria Ports Authority and other related agencies that our presence is impactful and we also prove to the government that we are committed to the drive on ease of doing business as well as protecting the country from substandard goods”.
But, reacting to the return of SON, freight forwarders and industry stakeholders have described the development as unnecessary and a means to jeopardize the single window.
The stakeholders added that with the e- customs modernization project, there was no reason for the Federal Government to grant approval for the agency’s return to the seaport, noting that the return will increase the cost of doing business in the country and at the same time, promote sharp practices.
Reacting to the development, the President, the African Association of Professionals Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APPFLON) Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, stated that SON’s return to the port will sabotage the ease of doing business initiative, while also stating that with the e- customs modernization project in focus and the introduction of Cargo Tracking Note, there won’t be the need for the return of the agency to the port. He added that the return will further increase the congestion at the port.
He said, “in my opinion, SON is coming to the port to sabotage the essence of a single window, and that’s one of the parameters that IMF uses in evaluating port operations in Nigeria and its one of the things impeding us from the comity of maritime nations, so I will advise that SON should emulate NAFDAC and they should have engagement with the country of origin where a product is coming from, through that sub=standard goods can be curtailed without necessarily having to be at the seaport.
“Because at the end of the day, if they begin to operate at the port, it will increase congestion at the port, so in other not to waste the time, the resources of port operators, having a relationship with the country of origin will be better. However, we just introduced the e-customs, so their coming to port is of no essence if we are really talking about e- customs”.
“Also we are talking of Cargo Tracking Note, which means that all the goods in a container will be known before their departure from the country of origin to the country of use, so on what basis is SON’s return to port necessary or what purpose are they coming to do? We should be thinking of streamlining the agencies at the port.
“More so if SON returns back to the seaport it will increase the sharp practices because by the time they return, there will be sharp practices because there will be human contacts, but if we make use of technology just like we are talking about the single window all these things will be eliminated and will reduce the cost of clearance of goods.
Speaking also, the National secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Mr. Babatunde Mukaila, argued that SON has never left the port, even despite the government directive for them to leave.
He said the agency still carry out inspection, and collect inspection fees despite being asked to leave the port, he, however, said with the new pronouncement from the Federal Government for them to return to the seaport, road blocks inspection carried out by the agency outside the port should come to an end.
“I am not part of those that believe SON has ever left the port, because they still do inspections even when they are outside the port and will always have their inspection report before exiting the port, but if they are returning permanently, all we need to do is to sit down with them on how they can facilitate trade and if there is any reason for them to suspect any cargo, let them exit it out of the port either to the importers’ warehouse and continue the dialogue”
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Also speaking the CEO, Center for the Promotion of Private enterprise (CPPE); Dr Muda Yusuf described the situation as one that poses a kind of dilemma while advocating for the use of technology as a permanent solution to cargo examination at the ports.
He said “the matter poses a kind of dilemma, the SON has complained severally that over 80% of substandard products that get into the country come in through the seaport, and by the time they were leaving the port, I think the arrangement was that the Customs will invite them anytime there is a cargo containing regulated products so that they can be on the ground to properly examine, but I am not sure that arrangement has been working, they have complained that they are not been invited and that some of these containers are released without them being invited, so that is what has strengthened their advocacy for a return to the seaport for them to be effective.
“Now on the side of the stakeholders, they are also saying there are too many agencies at the port and that this make cargo clearing also extremely difficult, so I think the way out of this, is for us to make use of technology, like the single window, that will go a long way, so that everything that is coming into the country will be seen by every operator.
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