By Godwin Oritse
A group under the aegisof Unified Customs Licensed Practitioners (UCLP) has decried the re-valuation and examination of cargoes at the ports, a development they alleged has given rise to increased corruption at the port.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the Chairman of the group Prince Michael Okorie said that some Customs officers have formed the habit of rechecking, re-examining and re-valuating cargoes even after these containers have been given a clean bill for clearance.

Okorie however called on the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to put some disciplinary measures in place to checkmate the excess of the corrupt officers.

He explained that the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) are usually sent to the ASYCUDA system of the Customs service by scanning service providers before the value of the goods are calculated and duties paid.

“The inspection agents transmits all Risk Assessment Report to the NCS system and the NCS has the Ship Manifest from the shipping companies, therefore it will be really erroneous for the NCS to say that they short collected duties and taxes on imports.

“We are now calling on the CG to mandate his men to caution fraudulent agents who may want to defraud the government of the much needed revenue now that the whole world is experiencing melt down.

The group’s Chairman also warned the Customs to desist from arresting agents that come to pay their Debit Notes as it sends a wrong signal to the general public.

On over time cargo, Okorie appealed to the Customs boss Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko to give agents more time  who cannot assess bank loans to clear their goods by setting up a Committee to over see the clearance of cargoes that fall into this category.

He suggested rent waivers and re-appraised duty as this will give agents and importers the opportunity to come forward to clear their goods.

His words “Most importantly, it must be pointed out that most of the containers may those that were over invoiced by Inspection Firm, which made importers abandoned their containers, but with appropriate re-appraised duty and rent waiver, they can come and have their consignments .

“By doing this, government can recover substantial amount of revenue from the 1,046 containers and other goods currently trapped in the ports.