The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has denied that it was trying to return into the ports, even as it said that it has integrated its Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) with the Nigeria Customs Integration System (NCIS)
Speaking at a stakeholder's sensitization seminar in Lagos yesterday, Director General of SON; Dr. Joseph Odumodu announced that SON has integrated its e-certificates into NCIS in order to make it easy for processing of SONCAP, Form M and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).
The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has denied that it was trying to return into the ports, even as it said that it has integrated its Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) with the Nigeria Customs Integration System (NCIS)
Speaking at a stakeholder's sensitization seminar in Lagos yesterday, Director General of SON; Dr. Joseph Odumodu announced that SON has integrated its e-certificates into NCIS in order to make it easy for processing of SONCAP, Form M and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).
With this, he explained that SON no longer demands hard copies of SONCAP certificates from its stakeholders, saying that the process has been automated.
Odumodu debunked reports that the agency was scheming to return to the ports, even as he vowed however that his men will continue to arrest non-compliant cargoes on highways, warehouses and anywhere they are stocked.
The SON boss assured stakeholders that the online issuance of SONCAP will commence from 10th of September 2015 and that the integration will eliminate corruption and human interface in the issuing of SONCAP for cargo clearance.
"What we are presenting is a system that no longer allows you to come to Lekki or Nnewi House or to our Apapa Office or to see somebody who charge you money"
"The system will not even allow you to get SONCAP by seeing anybody, but you can go online, as a manufacturer it will take you a route, you will get every document you want from SON without making any contact with anybody"
"It will make life easier for all importers, you will be able to transact your business from the comfort of your office or your home, the world is changing so fast and all of us must begin to think about how we can link up with the system as it evolves"
Odumodu reiterated that the new integration reduces tendencies for corruption in the system and it allows for speed in trade facilitation. He warned fraudulent persons within SON and among the publics who might not want the system to work, vowing that they shall be eliminated from the system.
He revealed that in 2011, the level of substandard products in Nigeria was 80%, but that SON has managed through some innovation to bring it down to 40%. "But our target is that this year we want to come down to about 10 per cent and it is possible", he stated.
Dr. Odumodu also sensitized the stakeholders that the agency has been given a new mandate for 2015 by the Federal Government, part of which is to ensure that cargoes are designated to certain ports.
"People who bring cable through Seme Border, what we plan to do is to make only Apapa as the only port through which cables can be brought into Nigeria, what this means is that if we see cables in any other port, even in Tin Can Island port or Seme or Idiroko, we shall remove and destroy them without any test" he said.
Chairman of the occasion and President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Dr. Frank Jacobs Udemba lamented that many industries in Nigeria have been killed because manufacturers are unfairly competing with substandard products coming from abroad, he said that this is no longer acceptable.
Representative of the Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service,; Dr. John Atte, Comptroller Aber. U. assured that the SONCAP integration will enable business men, importers and manufacturers to understand and predict their businesses.
Atte said that the integration will be used by customs to issue a more comprehensive Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).
"Everybody has access to it and it encourages legitimate trade, we want to assure you that more is coming, NAFDAC, FIRS and others we are going to convert all the documents to become digital, so it is a win-win situation for all stakeholders" he said.
A representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria commended SON and encouraged other stakeholders to emulate this by automating their system. He said that this is a precursor to the single window process that Nigeria is advancing towards.
"You don't need to attach hard copies of your SONCAP anymore, SON does not need it anymore, I am encouraging others, NAFDAC is in the process of doing their own",added.
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