The much – talked about Taxpayers’ Identification Number (TIN); a product of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which was recently incorporated into the process of revenue payment for imported goods at the ports by the Nigeria Custom Service has been blamed for the failure of licensed customs agents to make correct declaration of their imports.
Already, the FIRS’s TIN is generating anxiety among freight forwarders who have described the scheme as a failure, due to the alleged epileptic nature of the FIRS website.
The much – talked about Taxpayers’ Identification Number (TIN); a product of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which was recently incorporated into the process of revenue payment for imported goods at the ports by the Nigeria Custom Service has been blamed for the failure of licensed customs agents to make correct declaration of their imports.
Already, the FIRS’s TIN is generating anxiety among freight forwarders who have described the scheme as a failure, due to the alleged epileptic nature of the FIRS website.
There was palpable fear among some of the freight forwarders in Lagos on Tuesday because they were unable to access the FIRS website and make proper declaration of their consignments waiting to be cleared out of the ports.
Shipping Position Daily had reported exclusively yesterday that many clearing licenses belonging to licensed customs agents operating at Tin Can Island port have been blocked by the Nigerian Customs Service due to non-compliance and other sharp practices in goods declaration.
But responding to the development on our sister product; Shipping Position Live on Star 101.5FM yesterday, the Tin Can Island Port Chapter Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agents (ANLCA) Mr. Farinto Kayode explained that the clearing agents felt betrayed by the action of the Customs because majority of them who are willing to log on to the Custom server and make true declarations were unable to do so, due to the failure of the FIRS server, which is one of the requirements for declaration of cargo.
Farinto said that the leadership of the agents has contacted the Assistant Comptroller General in charge of ASYCUDA of the Nigeria Customs Service about the failure of the system, but that up till now, the Customs has not been able to do anything about the system.
“The FIRS server was not working, they promised to do something about it, but up till now 99% of agents have not been able to register, for them (Customs) to start blocking licenses now we felt betrayed”, he lamented.
He said that many of the agents were unable to carry out their jobs at the port on Tuesday as a result of the problem and that this has translated into huge loss of revenue for the Federal Government.
“It is not the failure of our members, for people to key into the website of the FIRS, it is not working, and we have told the ACG, ASYCUDA who said that he is aware of it and that they are going to do something about it, but up till now nothing has been done”.
He however begged for more time from the Federal Government on the implementation of the TIN number as a tool for the declaration of cargo, saying that the Customs should revert to the old order.
“The way forward is for the Customs to revert to the status quo since it is not our fault; the website is not working, so how can people start registering? We are not saying they should suspend TIN, but they should suspend the implementation of TIN number for declaration of cargo, they should now work on the website and make sure it is working” he said.
Explaining how the TIN is supposed to be work at the port, Farinto said that “it is when you are able to access the server and get your TIN number before you can now go to Custom server and be able to register, without the TIN number you will not have access to Custom server”.
He however, vehemently denied the involvement of his members in the practice of Machine Outside (MO) and that what is obtainable in the system now is “duty avoidance”.
Some of the freight forwarders who spoke with Shipping Position Daily also alleged that the newly- introduced TIN number is a deliberate attempt to phase out Custom clearing agents.
According to them, it is a deliberate attempt to reduce the importance of the Custom agents, one of them told our correspondent that with the TIN and the e-payment scheme, “importers may no longer need the services of a clearing agent”
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