Clearing agents operating in the nation’s maritime industry have lamented the distortion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation procedure. This is even as they accused officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in charge of the valuation at the ports of corruption.
Recall that the VIN valuation policy for allocating standard values to all imported vehicles was introduced in February 2022 by NCS.
However, in exclusive interviews with Shipping Position Daily, clearing agents lamented the distortion of the process due to alleged corruption among officers of the NCS.
The acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto, specifically told our correspondent that the VIN valuation has been distorted, alleging that they now have a situation where clearing agents are forced to part with money having gone through the procedures of clearance.
He explained that the intention of the VIN valuation is to discourage one-on-one contact where everything can be done online, but alleged that the process has been distorted as some officers still insist that agents must come and see them despite going through the normal procedures.
He said: “The VIN valuation has been distorted, this was not the actual intention but if you look at everything in the port, Tin Can, PTML, the human factors have come in. It has been distorted because now we have a situation where our members are forced to battle with.
“The VIN valuation is distorted because the intention of this VIN valuation is to discourage one on one contact, you do everything seamlessly online, but what do we have now, we have a situation when you even you have VIN valuation some officers are now still insisting that you must come see them and this are things we are going to stop”.
Also speaking, a chieftain, of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Nnadi Ugochukwu told our correspondent that the NCS has not been sincere with the VIN valuation process. He also stated that the VIN valuation has lost the intention for which it was introduced.
“Customs have not been sincere with the VIN valuation and I want to agree with whatever anybody says about it, because the VIN has lost the intention for which it was introduced “he said.
On his part, the National Secretary of the National Council for Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); Festus Ukwu blamed clearing agents and importers who induced Customs officers for the failure of the VIN valuation.
He said “The VIN sometimes favour the clearing agents, so I wouldn’t want to out rightly condemn it, and on the issue of bribe, if you don’t give Customs they won’t force you, so if the agents go and induced Customs because they want a lower duty how many people will be tempted with money and they won’t take? So, it is a collection between everybody, but most importantly it is the importers that fuel corruption, if you are blaming Customs for corruption, what about the people that induced them? So, there is no way we can stop corruption in Customs, because everybody is looking for money” he said.
