The Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tincan Island Chapter, Evang. David Kanikwu has said that the re-introduction of Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) as being proposed by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) could only be welcomed by the maritime stakeholders if only the new CTN as packaged by NSC did not come with it any other additional cost.
Speaking in a chat with Primetime Reporters in Lagos on Tuesday, Kanikwu stated that the CTN was a necessity especially in this period of insurgency and insecurity in the country as it would enable the Nigerian government to be conscious of cargoes entering into the country through its borders.
He however warned that the stakeholders would not accept a situation where government would later introduce a fee to the CTN secretly since it would not go beyond conception stage as was the case with the previous one introduced about four years ago by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“Having built on this background, if actually they have fine-tuned the lapses in the earlier implemented one that was implemented, it is a welcomed development because of security. In this period of insurgency, Nigeria should be conscious of cargoes that enter through these international boundaries. So, it is a welcomed development.
“But we will not want a situation where they will pass through back door to attach a fee because it is the country of source that has the mandatory duty to give the country they are exporting to information relating to what they exporting to that country. So, the onus is on the country of source not here.
“So, if there is failure from the country of source to issue properly documented CTN as per the documented cargo in the ship, they will be held responsible. So, it is a welcomed development if there is no cost attached to it”, he said.
On who finances the CTN, he said,” This is a government policy, government will finance its policy because of the inherent benefits in it so that it is not abused. If they say let the importers start paying, they will start cutting corners but this is government thing, they should finance it because when these cargoes come here, people pay based o them. You know the aspect of that CTN is for national security and enhancing correct declaration which will equally engender higher revenue for government. So, government should bear the cost.
“This is where it hinges on, if Shippers’ Council get it right, it will be a welcomed development but if it goes comatose like in the past, we will still cry out and maybe proffer proper solutions to improve on their profiling”.
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