Even as pressure continues to mount in the nation's port system over the alleged failure of the Nigeria Customs Service to issue the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) on time, freight forwarders have now called on government to hand over the destination inspection duties back to the service providers.
Even as pressure continues to mount in the nation's port system over the alleged failure of the Nigeria Customs Service to issue the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) on time, freight forwarders have now called on government to hand over the destination inspection duties back to the service providers.
This is coming on the heels of agitation and fears expressed by notable players in the maritime industry about the competency of the Nigerian customs to manage the PAAR system effectively, even as clearing agents and importers are currently groaning under heavy demurrage that have accrued to their consignments at the port due to the failure of customs to generate PAAR on time.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week, a licensed customs agent, Mr. Kehinde Odumuyiwa called for the return of service providers to take over destination inspection because customs now take two months to issue PAAR.
Odumuyiwa alleged that the various freight forwarding associations have failed to speak the mind about the pains of their members because they have compromised with the Comptroller General of Customs.
He said: "People have been applying for PAAR, but it is not coming out, customs is just using the associations, the leadership of the associations is not saying the truth, maybe they have something they are gaining from the CG"
"Since 1st of March, no PAAR has been coming out, I have applied for a lot of PAAR, but till now the containers are still at the port attracting demurrage"
"Custom is not saying the truth; they are only saying things to cover their inadequacies"
"When Cotecna and the service providers were in charge, it normally takes maybe three days to get your RAR, but now the PAAR is taking two months"
Odumuyiwa said that the destination inspection duties has proven to be a job too big for the customs, "the inspection agents were three, but now customs is doing it alone, the service employ about four thousand staff, how many staff does custom has"
"The embarrassment is becoming too much and we don't want to lose our clients, Nigerian economy is getting down" he said.
Another freight forwarder who pleaded anonymity also lampooned the Customs for what he called unpreparedness for the task of destination inspection.
He stated that it is very obvious that taking over of destination inspection has overwhelmed the Nigeria Customs Service.
He submitted that, under the circumstance, the best option is to call the disengaged service providers back.
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