NAGAFF Wants SON, Customs To Harmonise Cargo Inspection

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has appealed to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to stop its `out-of-port” inspection’ of cargoes already cleared by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
NAGAFF`s Public Relations Officer (PRO); Mr Stanley Ezenga, who said this in Lagos last week , also urged that such inspection should be done jointly by SON, NAGAFF and the NCS at the ports.
Ezenga said that NAGAFF was not opposed to the examination of cargoes to ascertain their qualities and standards.
But that such should be done jointly by the SON, NAGAFF and the customs at the ports to save freight forwarders the rigours of multiple inspections of cargoes.
“We are not opposed to inspection of cargoes by SON to ensure that imported goods comply with the right standards, but what we are saying is that the exercise should be jointly done with the customs.
“What we have now is that, after cargoes have been cleared out of the ports, SON will still go after freight forwarders to conduct separate cargo inspections at their warehouses.
“This is giving us unnecessary stress. We believe all levies; all inspections should be done before cargoes leave the ports. And that is why we want SON to stop this `out -of-the port inspection’ ‘’he said.
Ezenga said the association would continue to engage SON to ensure that it responded to the issue raised to aid seamless operations of freight forwarders.
The association’s spokesman also said that NAGAFF was collaborating with the NCS on how they could end corruption and other bottlenecks militating against quick clearance of cargoes at the ports.
He said NAGAFF was solidly behind the Federal Government`s anti-corruption war, and that it would assist with the necessary information to ensure the taming of the menace in the maritime industry