By Godfrey Bivbere

Stakeholders, Tuesday, faulted the continued usage of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, electronic valuation (-valuation) platform, the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, claiming it is now outdated and also illegal.

Immediate past National President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Olayewola Shittu, said that PAAR worked and was sustainable until human interference began to undermine the electronic system.

Similarly, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Lucky Amewiro, said that PAAR process lacks, “Assessment and report.”

He noted that PAAR only contained documents submitted that were not physically inspected to generate report and give assessment based on the report.

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He further pointed out that the document checks and information supplied by the importer without physical inspection is in clear contravention of World Trade Organisation, WTO, convention of import inspection and the Customs and Excise Management (Amendment) Act 20 of 2003.

He further noted that the PAAR was supposed to perform a comprehensive assessment of imported goods by classifying and valuing them based on international standards and conventions in order to generate a PAAR for analyzing risks.

Amewiro, stated: “The process is a duplication as well as indiscriminate jerking up of figures in contravention of the Customs and Excise Management (Amendment) Act 20 of 2003 and the WTO Convention on inspection of goods.”

Vanguard News Nigeria