The Apapa Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Custom Service has issued a two-week deadline to importers and their clearing agents who are yet to register for the Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) which is an inter-connectivity project introduced for the purpose of clearing goods at the port.
The use of the TIN for the purpose of goods clearance at the port was introduced late last year by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
The desire of FIRS was to develop a national single window for harmonising and standardising the taxpayers’ information and as well improve exchange of information among the stakeholders. Besides this, the FIRS-NCS integration project also seeks to establish a data exchange interface between FIRS and NCS in real time.
Consequently, the Apapa Customs Command has directed that every importer and agent who wishes to transact business at the port must have the TIN in two weeks.
The deadline which was scheduled to be announced at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Apapa Command on Tuesday, was abruptly cancelled and postponed till further notice.
A brief meeting was held with some of the stakeholders who visited the command early in the morning of that day and agents and importers were given two more weeks to register their TIN number.
An importer, Mr. Osita Machie, of Ossy Gold Nigeria Limited, who was present at the brief meeting, hinted that they were reminded of the importance of getting the TIN for clearance purpose.
He however lamented that the process was merely a duplication of the RC number they were using before.
He said, “I believe it is alL duplication because the RC number which we were using before has the data of every importer, it is a way of introducing another taxation by the IRS. This is just like the policy introduced recently, a junk car that has been registered since 1980 and is no longer worth 40,000, it is now being asked to go and register with 35,000 to get a new vehicle? number plates.”
According to Osita, what the Nigeria Custom Service ought to have done is to stop at where they were with the RC number and continue with the TIN number for new registration.
He however expressed hope that the deadline would be further adjusted.
“I know they will extend it because most importers that I know have now travelled out, and I learnt that the Chinese are on holiday.
So, it will take these importers a month or two to finish what they have gone to do and fly back.”
A clearing agent, Mr. Akinbode Gbolahan however said that the introduction of the TIN number was a welcome idea because it would contain the data of all importers and agents, adding that with the TIN, it would be easier for them to access everybody’s contacts, including personal phone numbers.
“Henceforth, I am not ready to do business with any importer that does not have TIN registration, an e-mail, as well as all his other documents intact,” he said.