Posted by By Godwin Oritse on
Destination Inspection regime of cargo clearance at the nation's ports will take off on January 1, 2006 starting with the Apapa and Tincan Island ports even as the Federal Government has also approved the guidelines governing the operations of the scheme.
LAGOS - Destination Inspection regime of cargo clearance at the nation's ports will take off on January 1, 2006 starting with the Apapa and Tincan Island ports even as the Federal Government has also approved the guidelines governing the operations of the scheme.
A letter from the Federal Ministry of Finance, dated 19th December 2005 and addressed to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Jacob Gyang Buba, stated that all preparatory issues towards achieving the objectives of the new import clearance regime have been concluded.
The letter with reference no: X\19496\PICDIA\IT2\209 and signed by one Mr J. I Zarewa, a Director in the Ministry in charge of home finance warned that government would deal ruthlessly with anyone that attempts to sabotage the new inspection scheme.
Speaking at a stakeholders' forum in Lagos on the expectation of operators with regards to the scheme, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Kayode Ogundeji, said that a transitional period of about three months has also been allowed for the clearance of imports without Clean Report Import otherwise known as Non-CRI goods.
According to Ogundeji, agents and importers have between December 27, 2005 and March 31, 2006 to clear and take delivery of Non-CRI goods from the ports after which this category of goods will be confiscated.
He explained that the Non-CRI goods currently trapped at the ports will be used to test-run the new scheme adding that the test-run will end on the March 31, 2006 as this will also mark the end of Pre-shipment Inspection.
The Customs top brass said the service providers of the new scheme namely Cotecna, SGS, and Globalscan in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service have also commenced training of Customs personnel to acquaint them with the new scheme.
The guidelines read in part: 'In pursuit of government's decision to abolish Pre-shipment Inspection Scheme for imports to Nigeria and the introduction of Destination Inspection, with effect from 1st January 2006, the following guidelines, procedures and documentation requirement shall a apply in respect of import transaction with effect from that date.
"Any person intending to import physical goods into Nigeria shall in the first instance process Form 'M" through any authorised dealer bank irrespective of the value and whether or not payment is involved.
"Supporting document shall be clearly marked ‘valid for forex\ not valid for forex' as appropriate, that is, depending on whether or not foreign exchange remittance would be involved. The validity period of Form ‘M' shall be six months for all general goods while Form ‘M' for plants and Machineries should have a validity period of one year.
"All applications for goods subject to Destination Inspection shall carry the ‘BA' code; while those on exemption shall indicate ‘CB' in prefix of the numbering system of the form ‘M'.