Customs CG; Dikko Flags-off Trade Hub Centre At Balogun Market

The Nigeria Customs Service has commissioned a trade hub centre and information facilities at the Balogun market and other markets situated within the Trade Fair Complex as part of processes to officially usher-in the Nigerian Trade Hub and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) regime.

The centre according to the Custom boss is to assist the traders in securing information about products and their status even before attempts are made to import them.

Dikko mandated the ICT unit of the customs to ensure that competent hands are trained among the traders so that the centre can be handed over to them. He assured that the centre will be handed over to the traders as soon as competent hands have been trained by customs to carry on operation of the facility.

The Customs also said that the first PAAR was issued yesterday within 58 minutes. The PAAR was said to have been issued to a company named World's Ultimate Global Link Limited in Yaba, Lagos. The PAAR number according to customs is – CN20130017589/001.

Obviously elated by the feet, the Customs boss, Dikko stated that: "It is really encouraging and promising that today we can issue a PAAR in 58 minutes, before now what was happening during the RAR period was that it took like five days or more than that, we know that the public has been complaining about RAR issue, but today it is over, this PAAR is going to be issued before the arrival of the cargo".

Dikko charged the traders on compliance in order to ensure that the system works. Speaking further,he said, "what we expect from you is compliance, if you comply you can never have problem with customs, but we are assuring that whatever it takes, though we were given 48 hours to clear cargoes, but we on our own feel it’s too much, we want to make it in six hours"

He assured that, once a cargo has been released at any port, no custom officers at check points can stop it until it gets to destination.

Responding, President of Balogun Market Association, Chief Leonard Ogbonna who was full of appreciation for the Customs boss assured that the traders are ready to partner the service in ensuring that it achieve its goals.

Ogbonna also assured that the traders’ association will volunteer two members of the association that are graduates and ICT-compliant, in other to effectively man the newly-commissioned centre.

Meanwhile, some of the traders pointed out hitches that have been caused by the taking over of customs from the service providers. According to them, one of the destination inspection companies; Cotecna Destination Limited is currently turning away RARs it had issued earlier.

Shipping Position Daily also gathered yesterday that, some of the destination inspection companies are currently lobbying the Federal Government for a possible review of their contracts.

But clearing the air however, head of ICT for customs, Bashar Yussuf assured the affected traders that the old RAR' will be treated by the customs.

"These RARs that have been issued already, we will process them the way it is, as at this morning, there was no outstanding documentation, we are only awaiting uploading of your form M' from the banks so that you can start seeing the PAAR", he explained.