Anxiety As Customs Set To Reintroduce PAAR Today

After suspending its novel Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) for almost 10 months, the Nigeria Customs Service is set to re-introduce the concept today.
Sources confirmed to our correspondent yesterday that ahead of the re-launch, the Nigeria Customs Service has sent circulars to select stakeholders intimating them of its plan to commence the use of PAAR again.
However, Shipping Position Daily learnt that the PAAR will run side-by-side with the existing system of Risk Assessment Report (RAR) which is currently being issued by the three destination inspection agents
The Customs had first introduced the PAAR late in 2012, in anticipation of the end of the contract of the inspection agents and the process being taken over by service.
But it was forced to suspend it following the extension of the inspection agents’ contract by the Federal Government.
Our correspondent confirmed yesterday that even though Customs has not adequately notified all stakeholders about its intendment on PAAR, already the move isa causing jitters among some; especially freight forwarders.
Reacting to the development, the National President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Chief Eugene Nweke decried the poor sensitization that the Customs has subjected the re-introduction of PAAR to.
According to him, considering the importance of the system, its flag-off ought to be widely circulated to all stakeholders.
He however asked if the introduction of RAAR now signifies the official take off also of the Nigeria Trader Hub, which is an ancillary to PAAR.
The PAAR re-flag-off come up exactly three months after the Nigeria Customs Service signified its intention to introduce the system.
The Service had on July 29, 2013 in Lagos had said that it was set to test-run the PAAR side-by-side with the service providers before it finally takes over Destination Inspection (DI)from them in December.

The NCS had also disclosed that the Ministry of Finance has approved the piloting of the PAAR which will eventually replace the present Risk Assessment Record.

Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Wale Adeniyi, however alerted that stakeholders to expect hiccups and human factors during the process.

The image maker of the service who represented the Comptroller General of Customs ,Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi at the programme in Lagos in July noted that after the approval from the minister , the service is in the process of selecting a yet- to -be disclosed port to test-run the scheme which is aimed at trade facilitation and enhanced cargo security.

He disclosed that the scheme is aimed at building a new customs, saying it will result to a paperless way to trade facilitation.

"During the test running, we are going to run it parallel to what the service providers are doing now, it is going to be a parallel service,"

"It is going to be a parallel service so that we will futurise the ethics associated with the switching-off of (RAR) and the switching on of (PAAR)"

He said the purpose of the test run is to achieve a seamless transmission which is a period of six months.

The PAAR is expected to manage and maintains national data on trade and security and also effectively handle import on the basis of pre-arrival of cargo thereby facilitating trade, ensuring security of the nation and improve revenue collection, the Customs says.