The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has harped on the need for the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure a uniform application of its rules at all the entry points of sea, air and land borders.
The Chairman, Anti-Corruption Committee of NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche who stated this in a press release he issued in Lagos also said that issues of uncoordinated alerts, frivolous value question, extortion, abuse of transfer and other systemic corruption needed to be resolved by Nigeria Customs Service management.
While appreciating the level of achievement by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) at Jibiya Border of Katsina where he said monopoly had been broken, Uche recalled that to reform, restructure and enhance revenue collection of the Service was a Presidential mandate to Col. Hameed Ali Ibrahim (Rtd.) in the Nigeria Customs which he ought to pursue without fear or favour.
He decried the actions of the Nigeria Customs cargo examiners to the stakeholders which according to him were very unprofessional because of the fact that the regime of destination inspection was anchored on physical/automated customs examination of imports questioning the rationale behind the inherent abuse of the process.
According to him,” It is a fact that Customs examination is a process through which a proper Customs officer examines a laden container positioned at the examination bay with a view to ascertaining and comparing the declaration made by the agent with the actual contents of the container. At the end of such exercise, the proper officer and other Government agencies related to the cargo take inventories for official use.
“The outcome of the examination shall lead to release of such containers if the cargo tallies in all material respect with the declaration made. If it does not further action may be taken including issues related to other regulatory agencies, detention and or seizure of such goods in contravention.
“It is very surprising that Customs examiners and other related agencies of the Government who have the mandate of ensuring compliance to import and export regulations usually connive with the trading public to cheat the same Government they swore to an oath to serve and protect. Without prejudices to the relevant Sections of the Customs laws dealing with untrue declarations, the word trade facilitation must be for legitimate trade in-line with the laws governing international trade.
“The Customs examiner is the most strategic person on the part of the Government to protect its interest but it is most unfortunate the level of connivance at this moment in our ports.
“While appreciating the level of achievement by the CGC at Jibiya Border of Katsina where monopoly has been broken, the urgent need to ensure uniform application of Customs rules at all entry points of the sea, air, and land borders cannot be overemphasized. Issues related to uncoordinated alerts, frivolous value question, extortion, abuse of transfer and other systemic corruption need to be resolved by Nigeria Customs Service management. Reform, restructure and enhance revenue collection is a Presidential mandate to Col. Hameed Ali Ibrahim (Rtd.) in the Nigeria Customs”.
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