SON Return To Seaports Will Frustrate Cargo Evacuation – Stakeholders

Maritime stakeholders have lamented the return of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to the nation’s seaports, saying, this development will frustrate cargo clearance.

The stakeholders had argued that with the e-customs modernisation project, there was no need for the Federal Government to grant approval for SON to return to the seaport, noting that the return will increase the cost of doing business as well as promote sharp practices.

Speaking, the president African Association of Professionals Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APPFLON), Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, stated that SON’s return to the port will sabotage the ease of doing business initiative of the federal government.

According to him, SON’s return will further increase congestion, cargo dwell time and vessel turn around time.

He said: “In my opinion, SON is coming to the port to sabotage the essence of a single window and that’s one of the parameters International Monetary Find (IMF) uses in evaluating port operations in Nigeria. I will advise that SON should emulate NAFDAC by having engagement with the country of origin where a product is coming from and through that sub-standard goods can be curtailed without necessarily having them to be at the seaports because at the end of the day, if they begin to operate at the port, it will increase congestion, waste the time and resources of port operators.”