OPS calls for return of SON to the ports
By Franklin Alli
MEMBERS of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and the business community at large have requested the Federal Government to return the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) back to the Ports.
This demand was contained in a two page communiqué they issued on how to make the new SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) to work. The new SONCAP regime is expected to become operational by the end of January 2012.
Two months ago the federal government had ordered SON alongside four agencies out of the nation’s port. In the communiqué made available to Vanguard on Tuesday, the OPS said that “Removal of SON officials at the Ports was identified as a big challenge in the fight against importation of substandard products.
“Nigeria loses over N50 billion annually to substandard, counterfeit and fake products. The new SONCAP regime will achieve optimal performance in terms of facilitating clearance of cargos at the ports and halting the entry of bad products into the country if and only if Government returns SON back to the ports.”
They also recommended that SONCAP should be integrated into the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Automated System of Customs Data (ASYCUDA) while goods arriving at Cotonou Ports destined for Nigeria should stay in their freight containers and move under customs transparent procedures to Nigerian boarders; Government should pursue the enforcement of product standards in all ECOWAS countries.
The communiqué stated, “The overall level of compliance of importers with the government imports regulations is poor.
Some importers specifically request manufacturers abroad to make products to their own inferior specifications in an effort to decrease their costs and maximize profit without concern for safety and performance. Some importers have worked tirelessly to circumvent SON’s requirement through our land boarders.
MAN was requested to update its database of members and forward same to SON.Importers were requested to make use of technology to access SON’s regulations and requirements for imports.
“Manufacturers, Importers and Consumers are critical stakeholders in ensuring that SONCAP works, hence they should embark on neighbourhood watch and offer intelligence report.
“All Laboratories currently performing tests required for Product Certification should be audited and accredited by SON and not PMCs (conflict of interest) SON should ensure Program Management Companies (PMC) verify quality of imports before shipment. PMCs should then be held responsible for any substandard products certified by them.
“SON should send alert on test results to consignees with clear description of areas of failure. HS codes should be introduced in the operation of the SONCAP Scheme. Quality of products should be inspected before shipment is done.
SON officials should visit some companies abroad to ascertain their quality compliance and infrastructure. Effective and Proper communication should flow between SON and importers. SON/Stakeholders meetings such as this should be institutionalised to create a platform for reviews.
“DG SON, Joseph Odumodu was commended on his efforts so far and urged to continually monitor his operatives. Exporters of substandard products to Nigeria should be blacklisted,” said the communiqué.
SONCAP is a scheme put in place to identify those goods which pose the highest risks to consumers in Nigeria and ensure that their claims of safety and performance are verified before they are exported to Nigeria.
It ensures that Nigerian Consumers are protected from unsafe and substandard products as well as place local manufacturers on the same competitive platform with their foreign counterparts.
