The Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has expressed worry over alleged stoppage of transpire by officials of Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
It said such action would militate against trade facilitation.
A transpire is a Customs instrument for designating cargoes from one port to another.
NAGAFF Chairman Emmanuel Umadi, an engineer, in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, accused the Tin Can Island Customs Area Comptroller, Mba Musa, of being selective in containers’ stemming to Kirikiri facilities.
Umadi alleged that the practice by the Tin Can Island Customs’ boss has frustrated shippers from patronising neighbouring ports, adding that the act of not approving stemming of some consignments was unprofessional and negates World Trade Organisation (WTO) Conventions.
According to him, the immediate past Area Controller, Bashir Yusuf, was instrumental to ensuring a seamless process of containers’ stemming to Kirikiri facilities. He alleged that the reverse has been the case with the current area controller, adding that revenue drive and trade facilitation cannot be sustained effectively.
The NAGAFF boss reiterated that the alleged practice by the Customs is unacceptable because of transpires not being signed by the controller, noting that personal decision or interest by him (controller) poses serious danger to the nation’s economy.
Umadi called on the Area Controller to create an enabling environment for business at the port to thrive, noting that importers cannot be compelled to patronise his command in order to meet up with revenue collection.
“Customs is Customs everywhere. So, I don’t understand how the process of transpire would affect revenue leakages. Duty payment is guaranteed if the containers are stemmed to KLT and even the KLT Command has little or nothing to do, so why frustrate importers and freight forwarders, who wish to do business at KLT.
“It is totally unacceptable by freight forwarders. It is totally unacceptable by the constitution of Nigeria because as a remittal collector, you are supposed to sign the necessary transpire documents on boxes, which do not stop the customs from checkmating the containers wherever they are transferred to.
“The Area Controller refused to give reasons why he chose not to sign transpire of some containers for reasons best known to him. There have been several meetings with him on these issues, but we cannot pinpoint why he declined to sign most of these containers and we are not comfortable with it. If transpire is being held by a customs Controller then the country will be affected with hardship and high cost of doing business in the ports as well as Nigerian economy,” he lamented.
Reacting to the allegation, the NCS Public Relations Officer, Tin Can Island Command, Uche Ejesieme, agreed that shippers and agents have the right to determine where they want their consignments designated. He maintained that the command is yet to confirm applications on transfer of cargoes to other facilities, adding that there are procedures on consignments’ stemming.
He further recalled that management had issued a circular on issues of transpires in 2018, stressing that the circular is extant and does not think the impressions that are given are actual facts.
“Controller cannot take laws into his hands, he is somebody that understands the nitty-gritty of the job and he is somebody that would not want to do something contrary to the extent that it will become counter-productive,” Ejesieme explained, adding that the shipping companies cannot be isolated in the process of containers’ stemming to Kirikiri Lighter Terminal. He further explained that the gap might have emanated from documentations and not necessarily the command’s boss as being speculated.
