Customs Agents in Tale of Woes over Examination of Goods at Lagos Ports
*Accuse customs, terminal operators of blame game on cause of delay in examination
By Ndidi Ifedi
Customs agents who have goods to clear at the Lagos ports are full of lamentations over the delay they encounter before their goods are examined.
The agents said what is worrisome is the cost aspect in terms of rising demurrage as a result of such delays.
A customs agent who pleaded anonymity told SHIPPING DAY that agents who have goods to clear have noticed a kind of blame game between the Customs and terminal operators in Apapa over such delays.
He said that at Apapa port particularly, many who have goods lined up for examination are disappointed on reaching the port as they are informed that the exercise for which they had earlier been given appointment has to wait.
He said that there appears to be a conspiracy between the terminal operators and the customs as continued delay in exmaination means more moey for the former through payment of demurrage.
According to him, “Many customs agents who are given dates for examination arrive there only to be disappointed as the examination officers are not there. You meet the officers incharge and they tell you that the fault is from the terminal operators. By the time you meet the terminal operators, they will tell you that Customs has not sent the list of containers to be positioned for examination.
“For us, this is worrisome, because each day there is delay, we pay demurrage and for the terminal operators, this means more revenue for them. What worries us more is that the importers are usually on our neck thinking we are slow without knowing that it is not our fault”.
The source disclosed that while the APMT terminal has continued to assure agents that it has capacity to position 1000 containers in a day for examination at Apapa port, the Customs Command officials say they can only examine 100 containers.
The customs agents called for urgent introduction of scanners at the ports, insisting that this was the only way to improve quick delivery of goods.
He said that the delay in goods delivery, among other issues account for the reasons why there is high cost of goods in the market.
He explained that no importer would want to run at a loss, adding that all the costs at the ports are calculated and passed on to the final consumers in the country.
He also pointed out the presence of operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) few meters away from the port gate, saying it was sad that the agent begins another round of expenses to settle these officers without which the goods will not allowed to move.
“The moment your container leaves the ports, somebody monitors it and reports to the FOU men who flag the trucks down on reaching somewhere new Area B. Whether good or bad, once this happens, you spend not less than N50,000 in order not to be delayed. It is the same thing for goods from Tin Can Island or Kirikiri Lighter Terminal area as the FOU operatives stay at Otor Wharf (Near Mile 2) stopping containers and cars that have been released at the ports”.
Describing the situation as simply high level extortion, he called on the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) to intervene on the issue.
According to him, it was the ordinary consumers that will finally feel the full impact of such practices by the Customs operatives.
It would be recalled that the Former President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, had recently lamened over the corrupt practices involving customs officers on field work.
Shittu said that the solution was in the reintroduction of Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) in Nigeria to stamp out corruption in the ports.
Shittu who was a guest of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers maiden Roundtable in Lagos, explained that the current shift to CTN was because Pre- Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) which came with Destination Inspection (DI) that ended the regime of Pre-shipment Inspection (PIS) regime some years ago has been turned against importers and customs agents who have goods to clear at the nation’s ports.
The former ANLCA boss said specifically that PAAR has turned into an instrument of oppression against importers and customs agents who have consignments at the ports.
He added that customs officers on the field have been capitalizing on PAAR to extort importers and their agents who have goods to clear at the ports.
He explained that the dilemma of importers and customs agents was that there is no other authority or third party intervention that can call the Customs Service to order in Nigeria.
Shittu who disclosed that every PAAR is queried, added that it was even terrible that goods duly released at the ports based on processes they have undergone inside the ports and overseen by senior officers are intercepted few meters away from the ports and other places on the highway by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Customs for mere excuses to extort the importers.
He said that what has continued unabated at the ports was corruption by customs officers who now openly boast of certain amount of money they must make each month.
Shittu said, “ The PAAR was turned to an instrument of oppression. Officers in the field now capitalize on PAAR, either it’s deliberate action or not, every PAAR is queried, it can be for clarification or for value. The PAAR itself will uplift your value either by freight or the component itself. After payment, an officer in the field will now tell you the value is not correct and now refers you to online Alibaba or Jumia technique. An officer can decide to use 50% and decide that your value is N500, 000 additional payment. There’s no yardstick. The online reference like Jumia or Alibaba are illegal because there are six steps of valuation that every officer must follow but all those steps have been jettisoned now, PAAR has become advisory so every customs broker is yearning for intervention by a third party that can overrule the excess power of officers to determine and not follow the rule of guidelines. That’s why the re introduction of CTN became inevitable.
“We tried it because it was at cross purposes with PAAR then. Even the Customs has adopted the CTN. Before you can do inspection without PAAR provided your invoice is stamped by the Chamber of commerce of the country of origin. It is regarded as authentic to calculate your value and pay your duty, that’s about 15 years back. But now everything has been so called modernized by young boys who are brainy in computer manipulation who were employed by late CG Dikko then to add value to the system. Those boys are terror to the port. If you ask any agent now, which rank of officers do you fear most, they’ll tell you those one star officers. When they want to do examination, what will be the experience of a one star officer? Probably a graduate of two years to determine value and quality of cargo compared to an experienced officer. All these young boys do is extortion at the examination bay. One of the boys is boosting “if I get N500, 000 for a week that means the week is bad”. The CAC on the other side wants to meet the revenue target, he doesn’t see any anomalies at the ports”.
By Ndidi Ifedi
Customs agents who have goods to clear at the Lagos ports are full of lamentations over the delay they encounter before their goods are examined.
The agents said what is worrisome is the cost aspect in terms of rising demurrage as a result of such delays.
A customs agent who pleaded anonymity told SHIPPING DAY that agents who have goods to clear have noticed a kind of blame game between the Customs and terminal operators in Apapa over such delays.
He said that at Apapa port particularly, many who have goods lined up for examination are disappointed on reaching the port as they are informed that the exercise for which they had earlier been given appointment has to wait.
He said that there appears to be a conspiracy between the terminal operators and the customs as continued delay in exmaination means more moey for the former through payment of demurrage.
According to him, “Many customs agents who are given dates for examination arrive there only to be disappointed as the examination officers are not there. You meet the officers incharge and they tell you that the fault is from the terminal operators. By the time you meet the terminal operators, they will tell you that Customs has not sent the list of containers to be positioned for examination.
“For us, this is worrisome, because each day there is delay, we pay demurrage and for the terminal operators, this means more revenue for them. What worries us more is that the importers are usually on our neck thinking we are slow without knowing that it is not our fault”.
The source disclosed that while the APMT terminal has continued to assure agents that it has capacity to position 1000 containers in a day for examination at Apapa port, the Customs Command officials say they can only examine 100 containers.
The customs agents called for urgent introduction of scanners at the ports, insisting that this was the only way to improve quick delivery of goods.
He said that the delay in goods delivery, among other issues account for the reasons why there is high cost of goods in the market.
He explained that no importer would want to run at a loss, adding that all the costs at the ports are calculated and passed on to the final consumers in the country.
He also pointed out the presence of operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) few meters away from the port gate, saying it was sad that the agent begins another round of expenses to settle these officers without which the goods will not allowed to move.
“The moment your container leaves the ports, somebody monitors it and reports to the FOU men who flag the trucks down on reaching somewhere new Area B. Whether good or bad, once this happens, you spend not less than N50,000 in order not to be delayed. It is the same thing for goods from Tin Can Island or Kirikiri Lighter Terminal area as the FOU operatives stay at Otor Wharf (Near Mile 2) stopping containers and cars that have been released at the ports”.
Describing the situation as simply high level extortion, he called on the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) to intervene on the issue.
According to him, it was the ordinary consumers that will finally feel the full impact of such practices by the Customs operatives.
It would be recalled that the Former President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, had recently lamened over the corrupt practices involving customs officers on field work.
Shittu said that the solution was in the reintroduction of Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) in Nigeria to stamp out corruption in the ports.
Shittu who was a guest of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers maiden Roundtable in Lagos, explained that the current shift to CTN was because Pre- Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) which came with Destination Inspection (DI) that ended the regime of Pre-shipment Inspection (PIS) regime some years ago has been turned against importers and customs agents who have goods to clear at the nation’s ports.
The former ANLCA boss said specifically that PAAR has turned into an instrument of oppression against importers and customs agents who have consignments at the ports.
He added that customs officers on the field have been capitalizing on PAAR to extort importers and their agents who have goods to clear at the ports.
He explained that the dilemma of importers and customs agents was that there is no other authority or third party intervention that can call the Customs Service to order in Nigeria.
Shittu who disclosed that every PAAR is queried, added that it was even terrible that goods duly released at the ports based on processes they have undergone inside the ports and overseen by senior officers are intercepted few meters away from the ports and other places on the highway by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Customs for mere excuses to extort the importers.
He said that what has continued unabated at the ports was corruption by customs officers who now openly boast of certain amount of money they must make each month.
Shittu said, “ The PAAR was turned to an instrument of oppression. Officers in the field now capitalize on PAAR, either it’s deliberate action or not, every PAAR is queried, it can be for clarification or for value. The PAAR itself will uplift your value either by freight or the component itself. After payment, an officer in the field will now tell you the value is not correct and now refers you to online Alibaba or Jumia technique. An officer can decide to use 50% and decide that your value is N500, 000 additional payment. There’s no yardstick. The online reference like Jumia or Alibaba are illegal because there are six steps of valuation that every officer must follow but all those steps have been jettisoned now, PAAR has become advisory so every customs broker is yearning for intervention by a third party that can overrule the excess power of officers to determine and not follow the rule of guidelines. That’s why the re introduction of CTN became inevitable.
“We tried it because it was at cross purposes with PAAR then. Even the Customs has adopted the CTN. Before you can do inspection without PAAR provided your invoice is stamped by the Chamber of commerce of the country of origin. It is regarded as authentic to calculate your value and pay your duty, that’s about 15 years back. But now everything has been so called modernized by young boys who are brainy in computer manipulation who were employed by late CG Dikko then to add value to the system. Those boys are terror to the port. If you ask any agent now, which rank of officers do you fear most, they’ll tell you those one star officers. When they want to do examination, what will be the experience of a one star officer? Probably a graduate of two years to determine value and quality of cargo compared to an experienced officer. All these young boys do is extortion at the examination bay. One of the boys is boosting “if I get N500, 000 for a week that means the week is bad”. The CAC on the other side wants to meet the revenue target, he doesn’t see any anomalies at the ports”.
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
