ABUJA: A statement credited to a member of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that importers go through 110 signatures in Lagos ports to clear their goods has attracted a wide range of criticisms from other stakeholders who described the allegation as laughable and unrealistic at a time of automation, writes Francis Ugwoke
For the ports industry stakeholders, this is not the best of times. There appears to be crises at all fronts. With forex restriction on importation of 41 products, international business has become difficult, a development that has in turn created low traffic at the nation’s ports. Now, few vessels call at the nation’s ports with the resultant effect of threat of mass sack by terminal operators, shipping companies and shippers. Since revenue from the ports is determined by the cargo throughput, the situation will no doubt affect the traditional customs target. This is the current wind of change, a very bad one for that matter. The importers appear frustrated with the forex regime from the Central Bank. Sourcing forex on their own has not been easy for many shippers, not even the big time manufacturers.
This is responsible for the slow business at the ports. For the importers, the matter is made worse with the efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to fight trade crime. The situation has degenerated to the stakeholders throwing stones at one another with allegations and counter allegations. But the stage was opened by the new Comptroller-General, Col Hameed Ali (rtd), who during a tour of the ports and a meeting with stakeholders threatened to deal with importers, freight forwarders and customs officers who do not end their old ways.
Apparently aware of the trade malpractices involving importers and their agents, Ali had threatened to invoke the provisions of the Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA) in cases of under-declaration and concealment of goods being imported. But importers, particularly members of MAN apparently fighting back replied the Customs boss raising alarm on some bureaucratic bottlenecks they claimed are being suffered in the process of clearing goods at the nation’s ports. But freight forwarders who did not agree with some of the allegations raised by MAN against the Customs faulted the manufacturers.
