Apparently determined to ensure the success of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) regime, the Nigeria Customs Service, as part of effort to clear the backlogs of consignments whose PAARs have not been processed, has introduced a special offer for agents operating at the Apapa Area command to tackle this delay.
This is coming even as importers and agents have lamented the adverse effect of the PAAR regime on clearance of goods at the Port.
Apparently determined to ensure the success of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) regime, the Nigeria Customs Service, as part of effort to clear the backlogs of consignments whose PAARs have not been processed, has introduced a special offer for agents operating at the Apapa Area command to tackle this delay.
This is coming even as importers and agents have lamented the adverse effect of the PAAR regime on clearance of goods at the Port.
At a meeting with the representatives of the various freight forwarding associations including the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ( ANLCA) on Thursday, Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Charles Edike, announced that the CG has offered to grant importers whose PAARs have not been uploaded and consignments lying in the port between January and March 15th a special arrangement to clear their goods from the port.
"Any of the importers whose consignement falls into this category should send a letter to the CAC's office immediately and we will immediately perform physical examination on such consignment and release it," Edike stated.
Speaking shortly after the meeting with the agents, ASYCUDA project manager of the command, Yusuf Malanta, said the provision by the customs high command is strictly for importers who have difficulties generating their PAARs document.
While explaining that the new arrangement should not be mistaking for provisional release, Malanta said the affected agents are required to apply to the area controller with evidence of all import documents from the bank after which examination will be conducted on the consignment.
“This arrangement is for those PAARs that have error, maybe error in transmission, or error in classification due to some teething problems, all these kind of issues is what we discussed and we have designed a way to solve the problem domestically here in Apapa”.
“This has nothing to do with provisional release; the agents have to come with all their documents as evidence of transmission form the ban evidence of final documentation form the bank. The bank will now send to the CAC who will now delegates some officers to examine the cargo to know what the content of that cargo is. With the content of the cargo, a verdict will be reached on what is suppose to be the value and classification and that is why it encompasses valuation, CIU and terminal officers”,
“After examination, we come up with the result and we will release the cargo and send our verdict back to headquarters and they will close up the PAAR there,” he explained.
He said only importers who are honest in their customs declaration will benefit from the provision.
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