The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has issued a 21 day ultimatum to the Federal government of Nigeria threatening to withdraw their services from the nation’s seaports if it fails to address issues militating against their businesses at the ports.
In a statement issued in Lagos by the National Publicity Secretary of the association, Dr. Kayode Farinto at the end of the two day National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and made available to Primetime Reporters, the association accused the Nigeria Customs Service, the prime statutory agency at the ports, of engaging in practices that were tantamount to approbating and reprobating.
It pointed out that, “the Nigeria Customs Service issues the Pre -Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), undertakes the assessment and subsequently release of cargoes from the ports, with the multiplicity of units in the clearance chain which are unnecessarily encumbered by incessant alerts and arbitrary jack up of customs duties which is not in compliance with the international valuation principles (which is in the general Agreement on Tariff and Trade (Article VII GATT) as domesticated into valuation Acts) and then constitute units that intercept the same duly exited cargoes within 500 meters radius of the ports.
“That where underpayments of customs duty are alleged, the service unilaterally blocks (suspends) the Customs Agents licenses which is not in tandem with section 154 of customs and exercise management act (CEMA)”.
ANLCA further alleged that the ports concessionaires engaged in arbitrary increases of terminal charges without recourse to the proviso in the concessioning agreement which stated that stakeholders must be consulted before such increase were made adding that shipping agencies who were ordinarily the local representative of the shipping lines also engaged in arbitrary increase and introduction of multiple charges outside the approval by the Nigerian Shippers Council.
It stated,” that the Nigeria police force has abandoned their statutory role of providing security at the ports to engage in stoppage of cargo delivery at shipping companies and terminals under the guise of conducting investigation. That the “must settle me” syndrome in the activities of such other agencies as DSS, NDLEA, Plant Quarantine, etc has exacerbated the corrupt tendencies in the maritime industry.
“That the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON),though with a lofty and patriotic agenda of minimizing the entry of sub -standard goods into the country, appears to have abandoned its statutory role of a regulator and is now a revenue generating agency through imposition of high charges for her services.
“The National Executive Council concludes that the activities of the government agencies and private organizations mentioned above are inimical to trade facilitation and does not conform to international best practices which have made Nigerian ports to be the most expensive, within the West African sub region.
“In view of the foregoing, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) hereby issues a twenty-one (21) day notice to the general public that its members nationwide will be compelled to withdraw their services, which will shut down the ports, if these pressing issues are not addressed forthwith”.
Photo Caption:
(L-R) Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, Dayo Azeez, Sir Ernest Elochukwu, Aare Sanni Shittu, Chief Henry Njoku, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, Emenike Nwokeoji, Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike during the 2-day NEC meeting of ANLCA held in Lagos last week.
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