ANLCA’s NECOM Moves to Engage Customs on PAAR, Value Benchmarking
Cross-section of ANLCA NECOM members, BOT members and newly appointed Committees and Special Assistants to National President at the inauguration meeting on Tuesday, held at ANLCA National Secretariat, Amuwo Odofin Lagos
…Customs to Stop Renewing Licenses that Fail to Capture Jobs in 2-years
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has said that it is set to engage the Nigeria Customs Service on challenges faced by its members on Pre Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) as well as alleged benchmarking of value on imported goods among others.
National President of ANLCA, Emenike Nwokeoji while speaking at the inauguration of newly appointed Committees and Special Assistants at the ANLCA National Secretariat on Tuesday also informed members that the Customs CG has informed the association that any license that fails to capture a single job in two years would no longer be renewed.
Emenike used the opportunity to get input from ANLCA members on the various professional challenges they are encountering on the job, even as he assured that the NECOM is meeting with the Customs CG soon and these challenges would be tabled.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has told us that if a license is renewed for year one, year two and in their system, that license did not capture any job, they would not renew it again, it means that it is a dormant license, the licenses are supposed to generate revenue for Customs” the ANLCA President warned members.
He noted that with the passage of the new Customs and Excise Act 2023, a lot of risk attached to the profession has been increased.
Scores of ANLCA members who took turns to speak at the meeting lamented that that the Customs has introduced benchmark on Pre Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) and that the value payable on imports have been jacked up.
Speaking, Taskforce Chairman of Tin Can Port Chapter, Alhaji Rilwan Amuni observed that the Customs has placed a benchmark of N7.5million on all forty foot containers.
“The second complain is the issue of 15% NAC levy. If this levy can be scrapped, I can assure you that forty percent of the challenges clearing agents are facing at the port would have been solved.
“Another issue causing problems is the Trim Features on imported vehicles, the customs should make the value of these vehicle features available on their standard VIN system, so that agents would know what they are going to pay on each vehicle” he said
Also speaking, another member, Mr Lekan Salau alleged that there has been an upliftment in the value of import duty and benchmark of PAAR by Customs.
“When they issue a PAAR they would increase the FOB, they do this at their whims and caprices, even on LC goods (Letter of Credit)”
The immediate past Sole Administrator of ANLCA, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila assured that
ANLCA is now a modernised association and would from now on, engage Customs from the point of knowledge.
He urged members not to be emotional whenever Customs introduced any policy, but to approach such challenges from point of knowledge.
“I want to commend the current Customs administration, they have given us the Advance Ruling, it means that Customs is asking you to come and inquire from them about the value and HSCode of items before importing them, whatever they gave you, you can hold them accountable. I want us to start taking advantage of this opportunity” Mukaila told members
