Customs
Use of logbook for vehicle clearance is antithesis to Customs modernisation —Akintoye Ojo.
Eyewitness reporter
As anger and shock trail the introduction of logbook by the Nigeria Customs Service as a modality for the clearance of vehicles at the ports, Ojo Peter Akintoye, the Chairman of the Tin Can chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), has said the policy is a drawback on the modernisation process of the customs.
Akintoye, who was at a loss as to the rationale behind the policy, described it as shameful for the customs authority to rely on 50 years old law in 2021.
“We are talking of modernisation and you are referring to a document of 1971, about 50 years ago, what are you modernising?
“Is that not a shame on us? Why are you referring to a notice of 1971?
“How many of the new generation of the customs officers were born in 1971 apart from the older ones who in the next five to six years will be out of service?
Why don’t we talk about what is globally acceptable?” he queried.
The ANLCA Chieftain wondered how the policy will sail through when most of the second-hand vehicles coming into the country are accidented and which have no such book.
“Majority of the cars imported into the country are accidented vehicles.
“Go to the car park and see them for yourself. I can tell you that 85 percent of vehicles that enter Nigeria today are accidented vehicles and most of these vehicles that had an accident even the owners’ whereabouts is not known.
“Most of the cars do not even have keys and you are talking of logbook.
They imported some of these cars without keys; they will get here before they start programming keys for them.
“So, if our common technicians out there, through technology, can programme a key for a car that didn’t come to this country with a key and the entire country is talking about logbook, what are we saying?
“That was the language I heard thirty years ago when I was joining this industry.” he declared derisively.
Ojo wondered why the customs could not use the modern way of getting all the necessary information they need on a particular vehicle for the purpose of determining the tariff.
He said the modern Customs world over use VIN of vehicles to get this information.
“I recalled that even the officials of the Nigeria Customs Service were in the habit of using VIN number to retrieve the history of any vehicle they were not familiar with.
Why have they decided to take us back to the old, medieval era of logbook” he asked rhetorically.
He expressed concern on how this policy will be implemented when most of the used vehicles coming into the country have probably passed through so many people as owners, saying one of the owners may have lost the logbook.
“How many of the used cars are being bought from the manufacturers?
“The car that more than ten to fifteen people have used or don’t you know that they are selling fairly used vehicles abroad?
” Even in America, you can buy a used car, most of the cars they buy in auction, they use it in America.
*So, after using a car I bought in auction for three to five years, I sell the car again, somebody else bought it, maybe at the end of the day, the car may have been resold five times and it lands in Nigeria as Tokunbo.
” Are you now saying that the last buyer should start tracing the six people that have used the car in order to get the logbook?”
The freight forwarder advises the customs authority to cover its ineptitudes by recanting the policy which he believed will made the country a laughing stock in the comity of nations.
“If the Benin Republic cannot be talking about logbook, we should try to cover our ineptitude a little bit,” he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
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Customs
Tin Can Customs hits 1 trillion naira revenue harvest
— as PTML customs generates N288.3 billion in 11 months
Funso OLOJO
For the first time in the history of the Tin Can Customs command of the Nigeria Customs command, the command has hit a trillion naira revenue haul, thus joining the Apapa Customs command in the exclusive club of trillion naira leaguers.
According to Comptroller Dera Nnadi, the Area Controller of the command, the second highest revenue yeilding command grossed the sum of One Trillion, Forty Six Billion, Four Hundred and Ninety Six Million, Five Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand, One Hundred and Three Naira Sixty Kobo (1,046,496,593,103.60) as at November 7th, 2024.
Nnadi, who was excited by the record revenue, dedicated the rare feat to the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his management team.
“The Command acknowledges the specific roles of the DCG Tariff and Trade and the DCG ICT /Modernization for their contributions too.
“Aware that a secured border will translate to more revenue at the seaports, we also appreciate the support of the DCG Enforcement, Investigation & Inspection in enforcing compliance among our stakeholders leading to the increased revenue in the Command.
“While we celebrate our esteemed stakeholders who embraced our reforms and complied with Customs extant laws and guidelines, those who did not are regretting their loss and the pain of non compliance”
In addition, the command intercepted and seized 16 containers of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical products and other items seized by the Command.
“Summary of drug importation activities at Tincan Island Port:
Total Containers: 16 containers were discharged from May 17 to October 23, 2024.
Drugs Imported:
Codeine-based products: Numerous shipments of cough syrups with codeine; Barcadin with Codeine, Broncleer with Codeine, and DSP with Codeine for throat and chesty cough (100ml, 200 bottles per carton).
“Tapentadol & Carisoprodol: 420 cartons of Royal 225 (Tapentadol HVCL 125mg and Carisoprodol BP 100mg).
Benzhexol Tablets: 200 cartons of 5mg Benzhexol Tablets (Brand: Trodal).
“Cannabis Indica: 77 packets (38.5kg), 532 packets (265.025kg), and 75 packets (37.5kg).
“Diclofenac Sodium Tablets: Really Extra brand (50mg, 100 packs per carton).
Other goods: Ceiling fans, Deluxe Chilli Cutters, stainless steel blenders, BiomalArtesunate Injection.
“Vessels of Importation:
SpilKartika (Hapag Lloyd, voyage No. 2417W)
Volana (Hapag Lloyd, voyage Nos. 2416W, 2421W)
Maliako (Hapag Lloyd, voyage No. 2421W)
WadiBani Khalid (Hapag Lloyd, voyage Nos. 2423W)
MSC Sweden VI and MSC Katyayni NY427A.
“Countries of Origin:
India (Barcadin, Diclofenac Tablets, Benzhexol, CSP with Codeine)
United Kingdom (BiomalArtesunate Injection)
Canada (Cannabis Indica).
“These containers were inspected by multiple enforcement agencies including Customs, NDLEA, and NAFDAC.
“Recall that on October 2, 2024, the Tincan Island Port Command officially handed over 684 packets of Cannabis Indica, weighing a total of 341.025 kg, with an estimated street value of ₦682,050,000.00.
“These narcotics were discovered in three 40ft containers Nos: MSMU 518030/2, MSMU 602957/0, and FSCU 927461/3), as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen interagency collaboration and coordination.
“Consequently, we are handing over an additional 13 Containers of Unregistered pharmaceutical products to NAFDAC.
“Total Duty Paid Value for the 16 containers is approximately N37, 000,000,000.00 (Thirty Seven Billion Naira Only) with details as follows:
“Tramadol – 920 cartons in 2x40FT containers worth N23B
Codeine – 1,894,600 bottles in 11x40FT containers worth N13B
Cannabis Indica- 341kg in 3X40 containers worth N682M
“The Command in particular and the Service in general will deploy all necessary resources and strategies at our disposal and in collaboration with local and foreign partner security and regulatory agencies to check the menace of illegal importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country.
“We are more than committed to deliver on this mandate.
“Aware that yuletide is around the corner, I wish to reassure all our stakeholders that the Command will partner with those who are compliant to ensure there are no delays in their cargo delivery.
“Similarly, we are also using this opportunity to inform those who will dare our resolve that we are ready to enforce the requirements of our law.
Meanwhile, the PTML Command also generatesld N288.3b in 11 months which it makes seizures of N28.4 million.
According to the Area Controller of the command, Controller Tenny Mankini Daniyan, the revenue generated during the period under review was 34.8% higher than the N213,914,304,888.11 that was realized from January to October , 2023.
“The Command under the leadership of Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan broke the monthly revenue record in the month of October 2024 with a collection of N44,021,583,356(forty four billion, twenty one million, five hundred and eighty three thousand, three hundred and fifty six naira)
“Comptroller Daniyan while describing the October 2024 monthly collection as the highest in the history of the command, expressed confidence in the ability of his officers and men to surpass the record.
“The Customs Area Controller attributed the command’s achievements to a combination of hard work by officers, compliance by port users and cooperation of sister government agencies in the port.
” In the command’s anti-smuggling efforts , some seizures were made within the period under review and the three suspects who were detained in respect of the seizures have been granted administrative bail.
“The seized items worth a total of N28,478,034.76 Duty Paid Value (DPV). Some of the items discovered in a 40ft container, No ACLU9664782 include: 2,598 pieces of used motor tyres, 12 pieces of used washing machines, 6 pieces of used fridges, 8 pieces of used motor radiator, 36 pieces of used Rim cover, 8 pieces of used rug carpets, 2 pieces of used mattresses, 2 pieces of used wash hand basin, 2 bags containing used clothes, shoes and bags.
“Another 40ft container , No ACLU9810594 contained 56 bags of premium parboiled rice (45.4kg each), 18 bags of Rice land parboiled rice (22.68kg each), 15 bags of premium parboiled rice (11.34kg each), 20 bags of premium parboiled rice (4.5kg each), 18 kegs of soybean vegetable oil (15.87kg each).
“Other seizures were : Twelve (12) rounds of 9mm Luger FC Black ammunition and one (1) 9mm Luger live ammunition extracted from one used Mazda CX5 , Ten (10) rounds of NIM FC 30-30 blank ammunition, two (2) rounds of 7.62mm x 39 AK hollow ammunition, Three (3) rounds of WCC NIM Luger 9mm live ammunition and Four (4) rounds of C hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma, Fifty (50) rounds of 76mm live cartridges and one hundred and nine (109) empty shells of 76mm, 70mm, and other calibres extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma and Fifty-one (1) rounds of 12GA Winchester live cartridges extracted from one used Lexus RX350
“Other seizures made this year include One (1) made in China SIGSAUER 1911 pistol with serial No: UO3130962526 extracted from one used Toyota Sienna One (1) Glock 22 Austria pistol with serial No: KNT003 and thirteen (13) rounds of 9mm hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma , Five (5) rounds of 12GA live cartridges extracted from one used Toyota Tundra.
“Comptroller Daniyan said ” We must rededicate ourselves to serving our country diligently, firstly as patriotic citizens and as customs officers with mandates to work for the development of our national economy.
” The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, have a lot of confidence in our ability to deliver excellently as officers with capabilities to use modern trade facilitation tools and platforms like the recently launched B’Odogwu platform, which is being deployed first in our command as a pilot area.
“As we work into the yuletide period, seeing to the end of 2024,let us continue sustaining two hours cargo clearance for compliant RoRo consignment, collect maximum revenue without compromising on diligent examination to detect concealment, under valuation and false declaration” the CAC said.
Customs
Apapa Customs eyes collection of N2 trillion revenue in 2024 as it hits N1.875 trillion in 10 months
Funso OLOJO
The Apapa Customs command of the Nigeria Customs service has continued to blaze the trail in revenue collection as it has grossed about N1.875 trillion between January to October,2024.
Giving the revenue performance of the command in the last 10 months at a press briefing, the Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, said the collection was higher than the Nine hundred and thirty-one billion, one hundred and twenty-three million, nine hundred and ninety-eight thousand, two hundred and thirteen naira, eighty-eight kobo (N931,123,998,213.88) generated in the corresponding period in the year 2023, showing 101% increase over last year’s revenue figure.
Olomu said the month of October was unique in the history of the revenue performance of the command as the command witnessed the monthly generated revenue of N264.455 billion which was the highest monthly revenue generated in the history of the command.
Similarly, the month of October recorded the highest daily collection of N18.2 billion.
With this revenue trajectory, Olomu was confident that the command is poised to meet and surpass its 2024 revenue target of N2.2 trillion in the next few weeks, which is shy of the revenue target of 2 trillion by N124.6 billion.
The CAC said this revenue feat was recorded despite the decline in volume of trade.
On trade facilitation, Olomu said the command has keyed into trade facilitation tools like AEO and Advanced Ruling to ensure seamless movement of both import and export cargoes.
“Furthermore, in line with the Federal Government agenda of Ease of Doing Business, the command operates on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that importers take delivery of their cargoes devoid of any delay.
“We also have an intra government working system where all government agencies work together as a team without compromising the mandates of our respective agencies.
“Equally, we have a wider customs-stakeholder forum where only issues pertaining to customs alone are looked into and addressed as and when due.
“It is noteworthy to state that just last week, the command facilitated the first shipment of cargo to Kenya under the AfCFTA regime.
On anti- smuggling, the command made a seizure of six containers carrying falsely declared and unwholesome pharmaceutical and controlled products which it handed over to the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“This handover further underscores the robust inter-agency collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and sister government agencies in the port. It further demonstrates our ability to prevent illicit importation from entering the Nigerian market through the port.
“As a service, we owe Nigerians the duty of preventing the import and export of cargo that could undermine their well-being and security.
“These medical importations have expired, while others are not evaluated by NAFDAC and could cause damages to Nigerians, if consumed.
“The content of these containers contravene the provisions of Schedule 3 of the Common External Tariff (CET) and section 233 of the NCS Act 2023.
“Some of the contents are unapproved dosage of tramadol, cough syrup with codeine, injections and more.
“However, from January 2024 to date, we have made well over thirty-six (36) seizures of various items ranging from used clothings, frozen poultry product, Tramadol, unregistered pharmaceutical products, and other controlled substances.
“These seizures are valued at over N1.5 billion.
Olomu said the command has achieved high stakeholders compliance level which he said was a testament to the very regular interactions which the command have established as directed by the CGC.
“I want to specially thank all sister government agencies and our strategic private sector partners for being part of the success we are celebrating today. Their contributions have been invaluable and the impacts are evident in our scorecard.
Customs
Customs facilitates first shipment from Nigeria to Kenya Under AfCFTA
The Eyewitness Reporter
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated Nigeria’s first shipment to Kenya, with Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of the Tolaram Group, becoming one of the first companies to ship goods to Kenya under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
During a visit to the Apapa Area Command on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, to ensure proper documentation and verification of the shipment, Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead of Trade Enablement at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, noted that the shipment from Nigeria to Kenya, specifically to the port of Mombasa, demonstrates the collaborative spirit of AfCFTA.
“It is not that we are doing it alone; I have already sent a message to the Secretariat in Ghana that there will be a shipment under AfCFTA to Kenya.
“I have also communicated with the AfCFTA implementation committee in Kenya. So this is the spirit we are building to ensure that we increase intra-African trade,” Olutayo noted.
He emphasised the critical role of the service as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, leveraging its expertise to ensure seamless trade.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has been fantastic; they are ready to facilitate trade. Once they hear that there is an issue, particularly around AfCFTA, you will see everybody ready to support and facilitate it, which is the essence of true trade facilitation.”
Assistant Comptroller Olusola Salako, the releasing officer for Lilypond Export Command at Apapa Area Command, highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s efforts to leverage technology to ensure that AfCFTA is successful in Africa.
“The service has aligned with the mandates of the World Customs Organisation to prioritise the importance of trade. Gone are the days when we experienced issues.
“Today, we have a Unified Customs Management System (UCMS). With trade becoming more global, we went back to the drawing board and improved our technology, which will help us facilitate trade.
“The service is already in top gear; officers have been trained, and we have dedicated officers, senior officers, and releasing officers for this particular export procedure—not limited to AfCFTA alone—and we also have dedicated ports,” Salako concluded.
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