Customs benchmark will stall reform, implicate importers — NCMDLCA boss

Secretary General of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Uchu Block has said that the introduction of benchmark by the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will not only truncate the reform process, but it will also implicate importers.
Block who told our correspondent that with the benchmark policy, the Automated System of Customs Data (ASYCUDA ++) which usually profiles the risk level of importers and the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) issued by the Service Providers will be made useless.

Secretary General of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Uchu Block has said that the introduction of benchmark by the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will not only truncate the reform process, but it will also implicate importers.
Block who told our correspondent that with the benchmark policy, the Automated System of Customs Data (ASYCUDA ++) which usually profiles the risk level of importers and the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) issued by the Service Providers will be made useless.
He explained that once  an importer or his/her agent assess himself based on the new import guideline and makes payment, an officer of the Customs may decide to issue Debit Note (D/N) on the same consignment, based on the new policy.
According to him, when this is done, the amendment is fed into the system which recognises it and marks the importer as an insincere importer. If this continues for a couple of time, the system then puts the importer on the red profile even originally he should not be so marked.
The NCMDLCA top man  alleged further that although the Service has listed 26 items which the policy will be used for, officers of the Service has “unwritten benchmark” on other items outside those 26 listed by the Customs management.
He pointed out that with the new policy, a 20- foot container and 40- foot container will be paying  N2 million and N4 million and above respectively.
He also noted that the 48 hours target for the clearance of goods from the port will be affected because the new development will delay the time that it would normally take for goods to exit the ports, even as he raised alarm that this has the potential to cause congestion at the port, especially, if the whole exercise is not properly managed.
On the explanation by the Customs high command that the benchmark is on cargo and not value, the Managing Director of Chinex Investment Nigeria Limited, said it is laughable. According to him, “if it is on the cargo, from what will they get the value which the importer is expected to pay duty on”.