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SON creates digital certificate for imported products

By on May 20, 2016

A digital certificate has been created for the processing of Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s regulated products being imported into the country.

Rather than attaching photocopies of SON certificates, importers are now only required to input the certificate reference number, which will be accepted by the system for processing if the number is genuine.

Confirming this development, the spokesman for SON, Matthias Bassey, described the innovation as one that would save time and cost.

He added that the system would bring about more transparency into the country’s business arena.

Bassey said, “It saves time and cost and it’s very transparent. It provides data for analysis and subsequent planning for national development and decision taking for policymakers.”

With the digital certificate, it is impossible for two companies to use one certificate number as the number allotted will also be attached to the Tax Identification Number of the company that applied for and got it.

Attempts at using an allotted number for a different company will automatically be rejected by the system and detected as fake, accoding to Bassey.

The innovation with SON is set to increase the number of registrations for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme; improve the organisation’s revenue and curb the incessant incidents of fake and substandard imports into Nigeria.

In a related development, Web Fontaine, a specialist firm in the provision of ICT for trade facilitation has integrated the Nigerian Ports Authority with the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System.

As a result, discrepancies and differences in manifests submitted by importers and their agents to different government agencies have been addressed.

This is expected to help the NPA billing process, enhance transparency in the system and increase government’s revenue by preventing possible leakages caused by false information on forged manifests.

The NICIS, an electronic template playing a prominent role in the Customs trade facilitation efforts in Nigeria, was conceptualised and designed by Webb Fontaine as part of Nigeria Customs’ modernisation drive.

 

[Punch]