Investigations by Shipping Position Daily have revealed the real reasons the Nigeria Customs Service banned the evacuation of cargoes by barges from the seaports.
Recall that the CG of customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) had issued a circular penultimate week suspending evacuation of containers from the ports by barges.
Customs had, in the circular alleged that some importers and agents were taking advantage of the barge operations to divert containers to illegal warehouses.
However, further investigations confirmed that there were other reasons for the action taken by Customs.
A source in the service revealed to our correspondent that the hierarchy at the Nigeria Customs Service felt left out in the operation of the barge operators in the country. He pointedly accused the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) of licensing and legalizing barge operation without carrying the Service along.
Our correspondent gathered that the ban was more of a supremacy battle between Customs and NPA over who directs or control the affairs of barge operations in the country. This was why the circular banning evacuation of containers by barges was issued by NCS.
Our Correspondent was also informed that, apart from the tussle for supremacy between the NCS and NPA, some senior customs officers were worried about the use of barges because it has reduced interference by officers.
The senior officers were not comfortable that Examination and Release of barged containers take place at the barges’ destinations away from the Bonded warehouses and the Terminals in the ports.
It was reliably gathered that the service was awaiting credible reasons to nail barge operations, and it decided to put an end to it having learnt of some of the atrocities importers were perpetuating by taking advantage of the barge operation to escape payment of duty on containers.
A barge user who spoke to our correspondent confirmed this and accused terminal operators, personnel of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and some customs officers of conniving to divert cargoes to hidden warehouses in other to escape payment of duty.
He confirmed the allegation of the Nigeria Customs Service that some unscrupulous importers were conniving with Customs offices to divert containers to evade payment of duty.
Giving a breakdown of how the corrupt practice is being perpetuated, a barge user who pleaded anonymity for obvious reason, confirmed to our reporter that indeed some importers were taking advantage of the barges to escape payment of duty on their containers by using barges to move their containers to illegal warehouses.
He accused personnel of terminal operators and officials of NPA, and some customs officers at the port of carrying out these corrupt practices.
He sad to our reporter: “Yes, this is true; I am aware of two or three cases, but who do you blame, if you bring in containers, what are the procedures to bring in container? You have to go through the terminal and there is always a manifest for what you bring in, so every ship that berths in Nigeria has a manifest that is submitted to Nigeria Customs and Nigeria Ports Authourity, because it is mandatory that the two must have a copy of the manifest.
“There should be a department at NCS that should be looking into it, so if a terminal delivers a container to an agent or shipper without paying all the duty, then the terminal operator should be held responsible for it and not the entire system.
“It means that Nigeria customs needs to have a section that deals with manifest and check every two or three months to see if these importers have paid their duty or not.
“So you will ask me, clearing agents colluding with anybody to divert containers, how do they manage to do that, it means that the terminal operators and NPA; all of them are involved, the customs too cannot deny that they don’t know anything about it” he alleged.
Speaking further, he explained that suspending movement of cargoes by barges, especially for exporters will spell doom for the nation’s economy, while stating that it is impossible for exporters to divert cargoes without paying the necessary amount that needs to be paid on the container.
He said with the dwindling price of oil, unstable economy, there is need for the government to encourage exporters to move their containers by barges as fast as possible in other to attract forex.
“Let’s look at it, there is no other way you can divert cargo for export without going through the terminal, if people are moving export commodity through the barge because the only hope we have is export “.
Also speaking, the President of Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN); Mr. Edeme Kelikume did not deny the statement of the customs, he simply told our correspondent that, “if for instance the customs see one of the trucks that carry contraband, will customs stop all trucks from coming to the port?”
He however admonished the Customs and other government agencies at the ports to hold adequate stakeholders engagement before taking such decisions in future.
He said following concerns that some operators have been involved in illegal cargo diversion via barges, the group had constituted an enforcement team which include officials of Navy, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and NPA to address this problem, assuring that the group would not hesitate to report such persons to the police.
He, however, assured Customs and other maritime stakeholders that barge operators would continue to play their role to achieve seamless port operations in the country and contribute to trade facilitation.
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