Customs Agents Raise Fresh Alarm Over 5,000 Overtime Vehicles Trapped At Tin Can Port

…Demands Review Of Overtime Cargoes, Vehicles Dwell time to 90-Days

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Licensed Customs Agents operating at Tin Can Island Port have raised an alarm of over 5,000 vehicles trapped at the port due to bad government policies, especially as it concerns the current 28-days period for overtime cargoes .

DAILY TREND reports that the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) classifies cargoes as overtime if the importer fails to clear and take delivery of them after 28 days in the port. The law also allows Customs to auction such cargoes after 90 days of arrival at the port.

The clearing agents have however called on the Nigeria Customs Service and the House of Representatives on Customs and Excise to conduct a Public Hearing on the need to review the 28-days for overtime cargoes and vehicles to 90-days.

In a statement by the Youth Leader of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and Cordinator of Five Star Logistics Terminal at Tin Can Port, Hon Remilekun Sikiru, there are 3,000 overtime vehicles trapped at the terminal while PTML Terminal holds about 2,000 vehicles.

The pres statement was titled; NCS AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE ON CUSTOM EXCISE SHOULD MAKE A PUBLIC REVIEW ON THE 28DAYS OF OVERTIME CARGOES AND VEHICLES.

“In view of the above mentioned, we urge the above authority to take a review on the 28th days place on vehicles and cargoes as this is causing a lot of havoc to the importers.

“A lot of vehicles (containers and RoRo) and cargoes were trapped down in various terminals across the port, based on the harsh policies from the government.

“We appeal to the Federal Government to extend the days, 90days is never a bad idea, because the 28days has caused a lot of difficulties as a result of increments in customs duty, and to run the documents of overtime cargoes sometimes takes 2-months for processing and cost more”

“However, we have more than 3000 overtime vehicles and cargoes in 5star logistics terminal and above 2000 same in PTML terminal which are caused by this harsh policies and operating system, causing a lot of congestion, but they failed to take them to the designated terminal for overtime for more than 3years now” Hon Remilekun lamented

Another major concern raised by the youth leader and his group is that is that, there are cargoes that have paid customs duty, released and exited from the customs but still in the terminal for one reasons or the another.

He said that these categories of cargoes are also being made to go through the process of overtime clearance and this amounts to double losses.