• Appeals to Clearing Agents for Full Compliance.
The Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) has officially announced the cancellation of the controversial benchmark on cargoes, even as it appealed to customs licensed agents on the need to advice importers to make genuine declaration of cargoes as the Custom is set to pursue its revenue collection drive with renewed vigor.
Speaking for the first time since news of the reversal became public knowledge, the Customs has also announced that in order to close up the gap that has been created in its revenue for the first quarter of the year as a result of importers abandoning containers at the ports and the rumored diversion of cargo to neighboring countries, the Custom will now be at the port to work even on Saturdays to as to clear backlog of containers and collect their duties.
Making this confirmation in Lagos yesterday at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the Controller General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Abdullahi Dikko who was represented by Assistant Controller General; Victor Gbemudu confirmed that the controversial benchmark has been cancelled by the Customs and that the service is now more concerned about meeting its N1trillion target.
Gbemudu told licensed customs agents at the meeting that: “Let me say that this benchmark thing should be put to rest for now, go to the port and make your declaration and pay your duties, we are not treating any issue like benchmark anymore, I think the issue has been unduly over-flooded, it is not something we should lose sleep over, the bottom line here is collection of our revenue, make your declarations and be guarded by our section 46, 47 and 164”
“Our doors are even open on Saturdays, go there on Saturdays and pay your duties, we are going to work on Saturdays to clear these backlogs, we need these revenue, we have to achieve it and get it, it is no longer an issue of Monday to Friday, on Saturday we are there, the issue of benchmark does not arise anymore” he stressed.
Gbemudu who was addressing the leadership and chairmen of ANLCA however pointed out that forthwith, when the duties are not paid, the Nigeria Customs is backed by section 46, 47, and 164 of the Customs and Exercise Management Act (CEMA) to enforce and seize any goods that is not properly declared.
He appealed to ANLCA to partner with the Customs in a more formidable way by advising their importers on the need to make genuine declarations of cargo so as to ensure that the customs realize the 1trillion naira revenue target set for it by the Federal Government. “The custom needs this duty and the bottom line is that this N1trillion is achievable and we can realize it, I want you all to partner with us to get this target”.
“Please talk to those importers because the days of evasion of duty is over, the government needs the money to carry out developmental projects, the Custom of today is not the Customs of yesteryears, the days of frivolities are over, advice the importers to please pay these duties. There is infrastructural decay in this country because duties and a lot of dues are not being accounted for” Gbemudu stressed.
Speaking earlier, the National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu whose two years in office also coincided with the annual meeting, assured the Custom boss that ANLCA members under the present administration are transformed, more compliant and up- to- date on international best practices.
“Today we are no longer an association that is local; we now belong to the league of international custom brokers. We are the bridge between the Customs and the importers, but part of the major problems we have always had is the Nigerian factor, nobody wants to do the right thing, and because of this, we have always had problems between Custom and agent.”
Shittu said that there is need for a symbiotic relationship between the licensed customs agents and the Nigeria Customs Service for the sake of the federal government of Nigeria, he stressed that Nigeria needs help and it is the individual contribution of quota that will help it to solve its problems.
He also pointed out that the missing link between the Customs and the freight forwarders is confidence, according to him, for custom to achieve all its goals; it must ensure that it builds confidence and trust in the freight forwarders.
He commended the Customs for the cancellation of the benchmark because according to him, Customs officers at the commands were already hiding under the guise of benchmark and trade facilitation to extort money from members of the association.
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