10 April 2014, Lagos – The delay in getting the newly Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) by importers from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) may put the Nigerian economy at risk as importers have began to move em-mass to ports of neighbouring countries.
The move by importers to patronize the ports of other countries in the West Coast is born out of the fact that they (importers) are losing billions of naira in the payment of demurrage on their cargoes.
Some of the Customs brokers and importers who spoke to Vanguard expressed frustration at the delay they experience in their efforts to get PAAR to take delivery of the goods from the ports.
Commenting on the development, President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu concurred that there is a problem with PAAR system but added that with time the problem will be resolved.
He explained that the gains of the newly introduced cargo clearance system is the stoppage of the one percent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) to scanning service providers.
The CISS fee which ran into billions of Naira is now being paid into the Federation account.
Another agent, Mr. Vincent Kekereogor told Vanguard that about 40 of his client’s containers are currently stocked at the A. P. Moller Terminal due to the delay in getting PAAR to take their delivery.
He was of the opinion that another era of port congestion will be experienced if urgent steps are not taken to address the problem facing clearance of cargoes from the ports.
Godwin Oritse, Vanguard
