The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently held a sensitization workshop for all exporters of woods and other products in the command.
The workshop became imperative following the recent upsurge of unprocessed woods exportation which negates the federal government policy on such exports.
In his welcome address, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Willy Egbudin lamented that due to the recent upsurge on wood exports in the command, which according to him either due to ignorance or desperation, exporters were bringing in unprocessed timbers for exports, which is he said were prohibited.
According toEgbudin, the Common External Tariff (CET) in schedule 6, prohibits unprocessed woods for exports, but with a proviso for exports of railway and furniture components.
“But out of ignorance and desperation some people have gone to cut raw timbers for exports. You have to add value and create employments for our teeming youths”, he said.
He warned that he doesn’t take delight in making seizures, but when it becomes inevitable, he had to enforce the law.
Taking the exporters through a projector screen to show the required processes and procedures, the ASYCUDA Project Manager (APM) of Apapa command, Deputy Comptroller Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim explained all the documentations and processes required for wood and other exports.
A representative of the Federal Ministry of Environment (Forestry department), Mr. S.C Kanu further explains the procedures for obtaining woods export support letter from the ministry.
According to the new guidelines for wood exports released by the Federal Ministry of Environment (Forestry Department) ,the maximum allowable dimensions for exports are length 30mm-350mm, width 50mm-360mm and thickness 25mm-345mm. The support is valid for 12 months after which a new one is applied for.
The letter also mandated the woods to be inspected at ports of export by the inspectorate unit of the Forestry Department and pre-shipment inspection documents obtained.
It also advised exporters to strictly adhere to the sizes and volume (CBM) specified by the guidelines as any deviation from that would attract suspension or withdrawal of the Ministry supports. Also, the budget office of the Federation has notified the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service of the new guidelines for wood exports.
The beneficiaries are to have all the required permits including, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) certificate for exports, strict compliance with the provisions of the extant guidelines for non oil exports, completion of Nigeria Exports Proceeds form and that of the customs service , opening of letter of credit for buyers and repatriation of foreign exchange proceeds arising from the approval into the company’s domiciliary account in Nigeria and all the corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) required as a company.
The permit to all semi-processed and processed wood exporters, procedures, guidelines and documentation for export of semi-processed and processed wood exporters from Nigeria also includes letters of request from prospective buyers, evidence of permits from the state where the wood will be sourced, pre-visit to the factory site by relevant officers from the Federal Department of Forestry among others.
The critical aspect of the new requirements for wood exports is that, the exporter must own a saw mill where these woods are being processed to the required sizes for exports as this will add value and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.
The Apapa command has so far made seizures of 25 containers of the unprocessed woods in the last three weeks.
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