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Customs to impound questionable imports

By on December 7, 2013

THE Nigeria Custom Service has decided to hold importers for any questionable imports as against the arrest of Customs agents.
Freight forwarders made in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos commended the Customs for decision.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, had on Friday, last week announced the decision to stop visiting the sins of importers on freight forwarders in process of cargo clearance.
Abdullahi, represented by the Deputy Controller Bashar Yussuf, made the announcement at a sensitisation programme for Tin Can Island Port stakeholders.
Mr Ukwu Elijah, a freight forwarder, said that the decision not to hold importers liable for unwholesome imports was in the interest of natural justice.
“If it concerns under-declaration of cargoes discovered during customs examination, the importer is the right culprit. But the first person being held responsible is the freight forwarder,” Elijah said.
He said that in the past freight forwarders had been held responsible, especially those who did not know their right.

Mr Obioma Okorie, another freight forwarder, described the decision as a right step in the right direction, stressing that the policy would deter importers from inaccurate declarations.
Okorie said that under declaration of cargoes had remained one of the causes of the delay in clearing goods at the ports.
He said that the problem would reduce with the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) introduced recently by the Customs for the clearing cargoes at the ports.
Chief Kunle Folarin, Chairman, Ports Consultative Council, said the importer was the only person responsible for under declaring of cargoes.
Folarin said that the decision to arrest importers and not agents was commendable action in the ongoing port sanitization efforts.

 

 

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