Comptroller Mike Ugbagu, Customs Area Controller (CAC) of FOU Zone C, Owerr sensitizes South-east and south-south stakeholders on the need to comply with the provisions of import and export guidelines
Jude Nzennaya Port Harcourt
Comptroller Mike Ugbagu, Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C has called on the stakeholders operating under domain to utilize the three months window opportunity created by the Federal Government for regularizing of duty payment of vehicles that were improperly imported into the country. Ugbagu hinted stakeholders that it is once in a lifetime opportunity to prevent their vehicles from being seized by the Customs if duty is assessed and paid.
Stakeholders from Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Akwa Ibom and Calabar were in attendance.
The information was contained in a press release signed by CSC Jerry Attah, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Command which was made available to Tentacle.
The Federal Government has banned importation of vehicles through the land borders, but because of the country’s landscape that made it possible to have borders with four African Countries of Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Benin republic, which smugglers use to bring in vehicles into the country.
He informed stakeholders that those vehicles that have entered into the Country through illegal routes can be seized at any time and implored the dealers to utilize this wonderful opportunity of three months window for payment of duty to regularize their customs papers.
The duty is even coming without penalty because the vehicles have been used in the country and the valuation unit will give duty reduction. Further, he advised them to utilize this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Responding, Prince Adulphus Duru, Chairman of Car Dealers association from Aba, while feeding questions asked that Customs operations should be limited to borders only and not along Nigeria major roads expressing fear that the duty will be much on the dealers, As Controller Mike Ugbagu assured that the duty is issued without penalty and that since the vehicles have been a Nigerian Used vehicle, the Valuation Unit of the Nigeria Customs will also give a value reduction based on depreciation
Similaly, At the interactive session with the stakeholders and Bonded Terminal, Warehouse Operators, Comptroller Ugbagu maintained that the good intention of Board of Customs in approving Bonded warehouses is for ease of doing business by decongesting the ports.
In the same vein, that the procedure of transiting goods from the mother port to the bonded terminals through the Customs Area Controller’s signed transire and escorted by the Customs Police or FOU as the case maybe has not changed. Goods meant for the bonded terminals must be properly deposited at the bonded terminal and that goods can only be delivered to the owner after assessment, payment of duty, examination and release out of customs control before the goods will be delivered to the consignee.
In line with this core mandate of ensuring strict compliance with the provisions of the law, he maintained that any attempt to use the current import and export guidelines by bonded terminals, as an avenue for smuggling or duty evasion will be discouraged and frustrated in all ramifications. Informing stakeholders that measures have been put in place to track and trace bonded terminals bound importations to minimize revenue loss on the side of the Government.
Also, addressing the Nigerian Shippers Council and some exporters that visited him at FOUC Owerri recently, he encouraged them to document their exports.
According to the Comptroller Ugbagu, proper documentation of imports/exports creates Data. Data is used all over the world for economic planning and decisions. He maintained that no Country could plan well if they do not have proper and accurate data of what comes into the country or what goes out. Loading trucks or boats with all manner of goods and trying to take it out of the country through an illegal route without documentation is tantamount to smuggling; pure and simple.
The interactive session ended with a request by the stakeholders on an agreement to meet on a date in June with Customs for an expanded forum on sensitization on export procedures and export documentation, which the Controller promised to organize soon or attend in any forum organized by the stakeholders.
