Customs Boss, Hameed Ali, to Appear Before House Committee over Underpayments, Harassment of Nigerians by Officers
Hammed Ali, CG, Customs
By Francis Ugwoke
Worried about complaints of underpayments in the ports and border stations, the House of Representatives Committee on Customs has said it will invite the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Retd Col. Hameed Ali, on the issue.
The Committee dropped the hint on Tuesday during an interactive session held by the House of Representatives Committee on Customs which the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Bello Koko attended.
The Committee also resolved that Ali will appear before the Committee to discuss not just the underpayments issue but also the recurring harassment of Nigerians by customs officials.
The Committee which is headed by Hon Leke Abejide did not say when the Customs boss is expected to appear before it.
Underpayment in the ports and border stations is an age long issue through which the federal government loses huge sums of revenue to both importers and customs officers.
Sources close to the ports said underpayment thrives because it is an arrangement in which what importers underpay is allegedly ‘shared’ between them and some customs officers.
A source who pleaded anonymity said, “underpayment as it affects duties cannot be stopped because it is negotiated between the importers’ customs agents and some customs officials who on discovering the issue collect their own settlement and release the goods. What some of them do is to simply give a minimal debit note (DN) which the importers pay to have their goods released”.
He added, “no importer pays the correct duty because even if he does, he will still be extorted by customs officials either in the ports or border stations.The worst is that if you don’t settle them, your goods will be delayed on flimsy excuses with several alerts on the same goods which means the importers cannot take his/her goods out until settled”.
About Post Author
