By Jimoh Babatunde

Director General and Chief Executive, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, has re-iterated the agency’s readiness to reduce sub-standard products to 10 per cent by the end of 2015, noting that the days of manipulation of the system will no longer be permissible Speaking at an expanded stakeholders’ seminar in Lagos entitled, “Trade Facilitation via Automation of SON’s Services” in Lagos.

File: Economy

Dr. Odumodu said the current level of 40 per cent of sub-standard products remained unacceptable to the federal government. He assured that Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) would not rest on its oars to ensure that life threatening products are adequately and decisively eradicated.

Dr. Odumodu made it clear that all and sundry should embrace the change mantra which the Buhari administration has been projecting; adding that stakeholders must support President Buhari to eliminate and check financial leakages and corruption in both public and private sectors of the nation’s economy.

The SON boss described Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) which the agency’s services and businesses have since been integrated as a “Nigeria project that would enable us to transact businesses no matter where we are”. He described NICIS as “a system that no longer allows you to come to SON’s offices across the country to seek certification.

“What we as an organisation has done concerning developing trade portal and NICIS covers the following critical areas – converting all SON Certifications and certificates to electronic format, online transmission of certificate to trade portal/NICIS by consignee for Form ‘M’ and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) Consignment processing at the comfort of the person’s office.

He said that will eliminating direct contact or visits to SON office for certification processing, “providing HS Codes regulated by SON and the requirements for regulated products on www.trade.gov.ng/son as well as setting up a Customer/Consumer Help desk at Apapa, Lagos and Abuja”. Odumodu told participants that trade facilitation has since become a sing-song among nations of the world as no country wants to be left behind in international trade and global competitiveness.

“Trade Facilitation would entail ensuring that Nigerian industrialists, importers and operators in both organised private sector and public institutions carry out their transactions smoothly and successfully through mainly deploying the instrumentality of Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), which allows businesses to be transacted electronically.”

Powered by Web Fontaine, about 20 government agencies are connected to the service. Some of the agencies inter-connected to the ASYCUDA system are Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, EFCC, NPA, National Bureau of Statistics, Nigerian Shippers Council, NIMASA, the Presidency, NCS, SON, as well as NIS.

The SON boss said they have been able to improve and enhance inter-agency collaborations and synergies although more understanding and co-operations are needed in this regard. “Indeed, since the removal of some agencies from the Ports in 2011, we have found out that inter-agency collaboration and co-operation have not been smooth as it should be.

“What we have been doing in SON, as one of those agencies affected by the federal government’s directives to leave the Ports, is to be on the alert and we have been able to use much insiders’ information and tip offs to intercept trucks loaded with fake and sub standard goods coming out from the Ports.”

An agent present at the event, Peter Nku noted that automated system will simplify businesses as it will provide easy access to information on products regulated by SON (consignees can confirm if a product is regulated by SON through any online platform – Computer, Tablet and hand-held devices .

Nku, the Assistant Shipping Manager, NES Shipping, added that the introduced system will eliminate the need to apply for paper SON Product Certificate/Import Permits which is later uploaded during Form ‘M’ application as consignee simply needs to put the certificate number of the ‘activated e-Product Certificate’ on the ‘ATTACHMENT’ section of form.