Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004.
Importers groan over trapped non-CRI cargoes
By Walter Ukaegbu
Maritime Correspondent, Lagos
Containers trapped at the ports over the absence of
Non-Clean Report of Investigation (non-CRI) are seriously affecting the
fortunes of importers.
According to the National President, Freight
Forwarders Forum International (FFFI), Mr. Samuel Okeke, whose group visited
the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Jacob Buba and Minister of State for
Finance, Mrs. Esther Usman, goods, which arrived at the ports before they were
listed on the prohibition list, are yet to leave the ports.
Okeke, accompanied on the visit by the secretary of
the association and other members, called on the government to have a
“contract deal” with them on the issue of non-CRI and contraband
goods.
While also intimating the government officials with
the issue of bad roads within and outside the seaports, the freight forwarders
harped on the urgent need to address the inadequacies of operational equipment
for clearing goods at the ports, which they suggested should be seriously
tackled.
On the threat by the presidency to scrap the customs
service, the group told the government that the customs had never been the
architect of its own problems, but the delay in the take-off of Destination
Inspection and the awesome presence of the pre-shipment inspection agents, who
have exacerbated the problems of revenue generation.
Said he: “The issue of increase of our
operational customs licence and renewal fees and its time-frame for renewal was
also seriously and extensively discussed with the appropriate government
officials during our visit.”
The association was promised by its hosts that they
would look into the various problems presented to them.
However, the customs boss was said to have told the
freight forwarders to keep enlightening the people about the present leadership
of the customs and the government’s reforms to make the ports attractive
and more user friendly in business transactions.
The secretary of the forum told our correspondent
that the coming together of members of the association was spurred by patriotic
zeal and concern for recent developments in the maritime industry.
According to him the group is spurred by patriotism
to provide government with suggestions, which if considered in governments
calculation in the implementation of policies, will enhance port efficiency and
increase revenue accruing to the government from the freight-forwarding sector.
