Freight forwarders have advised the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to adopt standardised methods of checking goods at port of destination instead of reintroduction of delays associated with sample taking of goods for checks inside Apapa/Tin-Can Island, amongst other ports.
The admonition came following the recent return of SON into Nigerian ports over alledged infiltration of the market with sub-standard goods.
Speaking on behalf of Freight Forwarders, yesterday in Lagos, during an interactive session with maritime reporters, the national chairman of 10 per cent Compliance Team,
National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, said, the process of collection and checking of samples of goods on arrival by SON at terminals as obtained in the past caused unnecessary delays.
He also advised the organisation against blocking/unblocking of containees, urging SON to emulate its peers in developed economies in the area of Inspection.
While acknowledging the fact substandard goods have infiltrated the market, Tanko averred that, SON should adopt better ways of collecting samples of imported items and not cause delays inside the ports by taking samples away for days to laboratories for tests.
Still on delays, the chairman enjoined Nigerian Customs Service to commence use of just procured scanners in the inspection of goods so as to reduce delays currently associated 100 per cent goods inspection.
He further called on the Nigeria Customs Service to acquire additional scanners, adding that, for instance, if more scanners are imported and deployed accordingly, over 1,000 containers can be scanned daily at A.P Miller terminal instead of the current number of between 300 and 400 containers dropped daily for 100% inspection at the terminal.
According to Tanko, another major problem associated with goods clearance is non compliance of some agents/importers with goods clearance procedures in preference for false declaration of goods in order to evade payment of duties.
“If importers and agents comply with goods clearance procedures, Customs will not have any cause to delay transit,” adding that, the service has the right of complete seizure of goods that were for instance falsely declared as fairly used generators but later found to be new generators on inspection by Federal Operations Unit (FOU) during routine checks on the roads after release from the port.
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