Shippers Association of Lagos State on Thursday said that it was the prerogative of the Nigeria Customs Service to conduct destination inspection.
Mr Jonathan Nicol, the General Secretary of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the law which established the service empowered it to place levies and taxes on goods.
He said that what obtained in other countries was against the practice in Nigeria where a private company would do an aspect of customs’ job.
“The law establishing the Nigeria Customs (Customs and Excise Management Act) empowers it to place levies and taxes on goods and no other person is authorised by law to do that.
“The inspection agents had encroached into the duties of Nigeria Customs. It is the shippers that suffer at the end of the day,’’ he said.
Nicol said that what shippers experienced during the period of Destination Inspection could not be imagined.
He said that many shippers left the business due to excessive duties raised by inspection agents.
“Those days, the Nigeria customs will perform examination, look at the goods, determine the quantity, quality and the price before giving importers a duty to pay, but the reverse is the case,” he said.
Nicol said that duties should be determined based on verification of the inspection as being done all over the world.
“If we say inspection agents have not milked this country, it is an understatement.
“One per cent of the Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) value is quite enormous money going into private pockets in this country.
“Who is paying it, it is the shippers.
“We are saying that they should park their load and leave Nigeria. They should leave customs to do their jobs,’’ Nicol said.
He said that the customs had the wherewithal to examine goods and place duties on them.
According to him, customs is well prepared to handle destination inspection.
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