SON, Customs biker over statutory right for cargo examination at sea ports
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has called for immediate intervention of the Federal Government over what it believes to be a breach of its statutory right to examine imported goods at the nation’s sea ports by the Nigeria Customs Service.
The SON expressed worry that the directive by the Federal Government that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should always invite it for the daily cargo examination at the various terminals of the nation’s sea-ports, has not been complied with.
The development, according to SON, has prompted its officials to continually lay ambush for containers that have already been cleared out of the ports and released by the customs.
This ambush strategy has, however, led to incessant stoppage of containers on the highways, thereby posing a snag to ease of doing business, as being campaigned by the Federal Government through the office of the vice president.
For a solution, stakeholders interested in the matter have urged SON to take the matter up with to the federal government, adding that the refusal by NCS to carry along SON during inspection of products at the ports affects the ease of doing business mantra of the federal government.
Justifying its action, SON had alleged that the Nigeria Customs Service has failed to invite its personnel for examination of containers, hence its decision to intercept containers after they are released at the ports.
Adding its voice in support of SON, the LCCI, through its Director General, Muda Yusuf, noted that it was improper for the operatives of SON to be intercepting containers on the highways on account of some fees or charges that have not been settled by importers.
He also advised that “where there were outstanding charges to be paid to SON or issues about SONCAP compliance, such matters should be dealt with before the container leaves the port”.
Tw gathered that SON has been permanently shut out of the statutory cargo examination.
An inside source, however, denied that SON had seized any container after inspection on the highways.
Responding to the concerns raised by SON, the public Relations Officer (PRO) of Apapa Command of Customs; Nkeiruka Nwala, a Deputy Superintendent of Customs, defended the agency’s action saying the service cannot invite the Standards Organisation of Nigeria for cargo examination, because SON is no domiciled in the ports.
Nwala said that for cargoes that require the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) certificate, men of the Nigeria Customs Service have always demanded that from importers, even before duties on the cargoes are collected.
She said: “SON is not domiciled in the ports, it’s just like saying that items that require end-user and then you say that the officials at the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that customs should be inviting them”
“If they (importers) have any document they are supposed to provide from such before cargo examination, they go to SON on their own, it has nothing to do with Customs. If they are importing items that require SON certification, they go on their own to get the certification.
“So if you don’t have it (certification), we will send you back to SON. So the work of SON is not about examination, it is product certification. So customs cannot be inviting SON; for what? It is a certification and documentary thing”, she insisted.
According to her “If for any reason SON now have an import that they suspect the certification process or anything, all they need to do is to send a message via the NICIS 2 platform and notify that they have interest in a container that is it.”
“If an importer or his agent imported an item that requires SONCAP, we all have a list of items that require SONCAP we only ask the importer to bring the certificate, they are part of the documents you must provide”, she explained.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has however advised the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to report the Nigeria Customs Service to the Vice President, if the service fails to invite them for examination of cargoes at seaport.
