Customs Officers are the Problem of Nigerian Ports—Wale Odu

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Executive Director Operations, Talod Oceanair Freight Limited, Mr Wale Odu has said that the Nigeria Customs Service remains the major problem of the Nigerian ports system as the service deliberately frustrating speedy cargo clearance from the port through various encumbrances and check points.

Speaking with DAILY TREND NEWS, the Talod Oceanair boss said that one major way customs is frustrating Nigerian importers, is through application of “Internet price” rather than “Factory Price” to determine the value of imported goods.

He lamented that the Valuation Units of Nigeria Customs does not have an approved value of imported goods, and they what they do is go on the internet to check the retail price of the items which is far higher than the manufacturers price.

According to him, some of the customs officers, in order to collect bribe, would issue a higher valuation to the customs agent who would start negotiating for it to be reduced.

Mr. Wale Odu the Nigeria Customs Service has been urged to stop using Internet price to calculate value of imported cargoes as this is counterproductive to Nigerian economy and does not represent the real price of products from the manufacturer.

“The customs is still the problem of Nigerian Ports. If all encumbrances to cargo clearance are removed, all alerts and double checks are removed, there is going to be sanity at our ports”

“It is not proper for any customs formation anywhere to be using what they call ‘Internet price’ to determine what the value of cargo should be”

“They are supposed to get the real price of items from the manufacturers. If I should buy a goods from the manufacturer for 10$, by the time I place it on the Internet, it would have become 15$ this is retail price on Internet, but what customs does is to go online and pick retail price to compare your invoice, they know the right thing to do, but the valuation units prefer to pick this internet price”

“Customs is doing this because, the higher they place the value, the higher settlement the clearing agent would have to pay them, they want you to come and negotiate.

“They bring this valuation under the table, rather than letting everyone know their approved value” he said

Mr. Wale Odu also stressed the need for customs to adjust the rate of duty downwards to accommodate the exchange rate that is skyrocketing.

“It is Nigerians that are paying these money, whenever exchange rate goes up, rate of duty has to come down” he said