…Says SON product registration no longer requirement for imports clearance
The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has put the value of substandard products it seized in the last one year, both those destroyed as well as those awaiting destruction at N22.7 billion.
The Director-General of SON, Osita Aboloma who disclosed this at SON/Maritime Stakeholders’ Awareness Forum with the theme, “Collaboration as a tool for zero substandard imports”, in Lagos on Thursday named some of the products seized in the last one year to include; tyres, electric cables, LPG cylinders, lubricants, communication cables, unfortified sugar among others.
Aboloma who was represented at the Forum by a Director in the Director-General Office, Mr. Mohammed Kabir stated that the nation’s economy and the lives of Nigerians were further endangered due to the influx of substandard goods adding that the essence of the forum was to interact with the maritime players, to discuss import/export businesses, with the objective of getting them deeply committed to doing the right things, especially concerning import processes and procedures.
He however used the opportunity to inform the gathering that the SON Product Registration scheme was no longer a requirement for import clearance but rather for the imported products to be in the markets.
Speaking on the theme of the workshop, the Director-General said,” Collaboration is the key to success since SON cannot achieve the goal of zero importation of substandard products alone. I therefore implore you to join us to sensitize and educate all importers and the public on the importance of quality goods and products as well as the dangers associated with substandard and life-endangering products.
“The works of standardization, quality assurance as well as campaign against the menace of substandard products remains a collaborative and partnership endeavour among SON and its stakeholders. Suffice to state that over 80 percent of products that enter into Nigeria daily, monthly or yearly are via the nation’s seaports and waterways. It is therefore critical to collaborate with the maritime sector operators in the quest for zero import of substandard and unwholesome products as well as the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) policy.
“Therefore, continuous engagement with sectoral operators and stakeholders would help SON to carry everybody along in the zero tolerance to substandard, fake and counterfeit products campaign”.
He added that one major way of bringing the players on board the standards and quality voyage was through sensitization/enlightenment while recalling that similar forums had been organised by SON in recent times across the country.
He pointed out that the need for continuous and robust engagement of stakeholders in order to ease the challenges involved in standards enforcement and monitoring compliance necessitated the conveyance of today’s programme.
He continued, “This workshop’s objectives include, providing a veritable avenue for cross-fertilization of ideas, views, suggestions and solutions on how to move the nation’s maritime sector forward, especially in furtherance of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy relative to electronic clearance, destination inspection and the on-going repositioning of the nation’s ports”.
“We need to disabuse the minds of those who think that SON is out to shut down their businesses by insisting on the enforcement of quality and standards requirements. We are only protecting compliant businesses and Nigerians at large from the hazards associated with substandard products. This is our key mandate and primary responsibility”.
Aboloma however regretted that non-involvement of SON at some ports of entry in the country operations had continued to pose challenges, particularly to the agency’s compliance and monitoring units saying that in some ports, SON only gets invitation for cargo examination when “deemed necessary”.
While informing various stakeholders that another sensitization workshop jointly organised by SON and Nigerian Shippers Council would come-up in the 3rd week of December 2018 nas well as extending invitation to them for the workshop, he therefore urged the importers, freight forwarders, clearing agents and the public to take optimum advantage of those sensitization programmes as it was not going to be business as usual from now on.
“We must endeavour to do the right things to protect lives and properties of Nigerians as well as the nation’s economy”, he said.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @ptreporters and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
