Destination Inspection Report Awaits Presidential Approval
By Francis Ugwoke
The report of the Presidential Committee on Destination Inspection (DI) is ready, the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman has said.
However, the Minister said in Lagos that the report is before the President, awaiting his final approval.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the Minister of State explained that until the report of the Committee headed by the Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, is studied by the President with further directives, the pre-shipment inspection regime will continue.
On the planned inspection regime which provides for a private firm to carry out scanning machine and other procedures, the Minister assured that the Customs will continue to play its vital role in the new scheme.
Mrs Usman gave an indication that the problem of the Customs will soon be over as government was determined to provide necessary logistics for the Service to operate.
There have been strong doubts on whether the Federal Government will still go ahead with the DI scheme of imports which it had promised early this year.
After shifting DI earlier slated to begin on July 2002, for three times, government had settled for this year but set up a Committee headed by the Transport Minister, Dr. Abiye Sekibo to work out the modalities, among other issues.
The Committee was inaugurated early in December last year and expected to complete its assignment within three months.
Although, Mrs Usman did not say when the report was ready, the Commitee's assignment lasted for over five months.
A source told THISDAY that there are so many forces against DI as planned by the government, one of the reasons why it is taking close to three years to implement the insepction regime.
It was gathered that some powerful elements in the government who favour pre-shipment inspection do not want the implementation of DI.
Apart from this, it was also gathered that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is not feeling comfortable on the engagement of Cotecna to handle some of its functions in the port.
The company is to handle provision of X-ray scanning machines to inspect containers at the ports, an arrangement that will automatically reduce physical inspection by the Customs.
Cotecna will also determine value of imports and thereafter issue appropriate duties to be paid by importers, a role which the Customs does not appear comfortable giving away to the inspection company.
On the other hand, other pre-shipment inspection agents have been bitter over the selection of Cotecna in the DI scheme.
A good number of freight forwarders have also spoken against the decision of government to appoint another firm other than the Customs to handle destination inspection.
According to our source, these pockets of opposition have contributed to the delay in the take-off of DI.
Reliable sources have it that DI may not be implemented afterall because of vested interests in pre-shipment inspection who are opposed to the new scheme.
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