Adeosun wrongly advised on new import, export guideline policy—- Amiwero
Living encyclopedia of Nigerian maritime industry and National President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has faulted Government’s new import, export guideline, saying the policy is structured to increase cost and cargo delays at ports.
The managing director of Eyis Resources Limited averred that the mandatory enforcement of palletized goods in containers, would reduce the normal shipment into container and increase the number of Containers for each shipment, due to the space the pallet will occupy, which will lead to increase of more containers for shipment.
He said the mandatory enforcement of pallets on containerized goods would attract the presence of the plant quarantine officers in the port to regulate the implementation of International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and additional cost, which will increase the process and cost to importer/Licensed Customs Agents.
While stressing that cargo scanners which are critical requirement for palletized cargoes in containers are currently non functional, Amiwero said “Scanning as procedure is excluded from the import guidelines that contravene the inspection procedure in Nigerian Port, which means that scanning will not be applied to goods in Nigerian ports.”
He said the first assignment for the policy to work is the functionality of scanners and removal of the mandatory provision of palletized goods in containers on Nigeria shipment.
Another line of action needed for the scheme to fly is that government should remove shipments based on international shipping terms, which excluded palletized good from the requirement as detailed under: vehicles, equipment; homogenous goods, rice, chemicals, and other goods that are not of dangerous and fragile cargo; reduce the cost and procedure by redrafting the circular to accommodate the above recommendations in line with international best practice.
Business Hilights recalls that the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had last week announced among other things that “Shipping lines shall ensure that Nigeria-bound containerised cargoes are palletized”.
