SON debunks claims of collapsed SONCAP Portal
…advises non-compliant importers on due process
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has debunked claims making the rounds in the news media that its online application portal for the operation of the off-shore Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) has collapsed; making processing of SON regulated imports into the country difficult.
The agency described the false claims allegedly instigated by one Kayode Farinto as a blatant lie.
In a statement signed by the Head, Public Relations, SON, Bola Fashina, the portal was recently upgraded to ensure optimal performance, enhance a seamless operation and more efficient service delivery to customers and stakeholders alike.
The agency rather decried the insincere attitude of non-compliant importers who fail to comply with the pre-shipment process, adding that they are the ones crying wolf on the accumulation of demurrage on their consignments.
Fashina disclosed that some of the advantages the upgraded SONCAP portal offers include “a one-stop-shop that provides clients the opportunity to apply, track application, send messages to SON and receive responses as well upload evidence of payments seamlessly.”
He also mentioned that “profile of the work done and documents used for application are available on Clients’ dashboard on the portal.”
Other advantages, according to him, include “No more Tax Identification Number (TIN) error” and “No more mistakes in a company name, etc.”
Fashina alluded to a recent challenge in transmitting approved and activated SONCAP certificates to the National trade portal which, according to him, was not peculiar to SON but all other trade-related agencies from January 22, 2020.
He stated that the issue has since been rectified on the national trade portal and all pending SONCAP certificates have been transmitted to the Nigerian Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) portal as of February 1, 2020.
On the claim that imports were accumulating demurrage as a result of the gap, Fashina explained that the SONCAP is a pre-shipment process, stressing that only non-compliant importers, who apply for the certificates after the arrival of their consignments are crying foul.
He said some importers, who brought in about 182 containers into the country without following the pre-shipment conformity assessment process, are those trying to circumvent established procedures and crying wolf.
According to him, such consignments would naturally be subjected to scrutiny or seized if found to be substandard while those behind the criminal act would face prosecution.
He advised importers to follow the import procedures strictly by ensuring that they process their product and SONCAP certificates offshore rather than looking for short cuts after the consignments have arrived in Nigeria.
