By Angela Okisor
Serious issues necessitated the round table: One, Nigeria has had outrageous substandard goods profile (over 85 per cent in 2011 and now around 40 per cent in consumer goods) and of which majority of is imported. Two, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria need be serious with the sector in order to impact better in its zero tolerance for fake products project. In addition, SON is losing revenue through importers who devise numerous tricks to avoid goods inspections and paying service charges statutorily due the agency.
For the maritime operators, however, the need for uninterrupted flow of goods is the measure of their efficient services delivery, survival and profitability. So, the round table is a matter of mutual survival, otherwise the story would be dreadful for the nation at large.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Maritime Matters, Chief Leke Oyewole said that government is worried over the activities at the ports that have resulted in pervasive substandard goods regime that have led to the death of many local industries and loss of jobs by Nigerians. Chief Oyewole stated that government was distressed by the delay at the ports and incidental costs added to imports by the subterranean activities of agents and importers.
He however commended the current administration of Son under the helmship of Odumodu for the various proactive initiatives introduced and his boldness in tackling the menace. The Federal Government will support SON to stop the importation of substandard products from the export countries
He stated that the office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Maritime Matters is going to automate all processes and agencies operating in the maritime sector. The goal is to reduce turn-around time, clearing cost and physical contact with the agencies by paying, clearing and taking delivery of goods without physically being present at ports locations.
The system, he promised, will be up and running within two months and without government funding. Federal agencies in the maritime industry are to key into the system and ensure that goods can be cleared from our ports in two days.
SON Director General, Dr. Ikem Odumodu earlier opened the discussions, noting the need for the agency and the maritime sector to collaborate or the nation in general would suffer much more. He outlined some measures SON had taken to impact more positively on businesses in Nigeria generally and the maritime sector in particular but full impacts are not being felt because some fifth columnists who do not want things to work are part of the system.
SON had repackaged the mandatory Certificate for imports, SONCAP, but importers and customs agents tended to work in cohort to subvert it, otherwise the high incidents of imported fake goods would have dropped given the other measures SON had incorporated to improve on its services.
The president of the National Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu expressed delight with the forum and urged SON to set up Help Desks to respond to and resolve issues promptly as they may arise sometimes without necessarily having to wait for long hours and go through long channels. He called on his colleagues to acquire ICT skills as the innovations (e-schemes) demand the know-how.
Noting that importers in the US deal with about 47 regulatory agencies but business is not hampered by the large numbers whereas in Nigeria, much bottlenecks virtually run the system to a standstill. He advised the SON and other regulatory agencies partner with the Nigerian missions abroad (Trade Departments) and conduct imports inspections and tests satisfactorily at goods sources and reduce the delays being encountered at the Nigerian end.
Prince Shittu told his colleagues to be ready to take on more burdens as government would soon turn to the sector for added revenue in the face of drop in oil following the global fall in oil prices because imports are usually governments’ fall back option anytime the main sources of revenue is threatened.
For Chief Festus Ejiofor representing the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, the SON DG should reach out to the players in the sector as that would create easier contact and speed the resolution of differences that might crop up at times between the operators and the agency.
In the spirit of freedom of expression, Mr. Lucky Amiwero also representing NCMDLCA argued that SON is not a revenue collection agency; therefore should not go about collecting charges from importers. He also opined that some SON activities are same as NAFDAC, hence a duplicity of sort. Overall he supported SON’s primary task of ensuring that goods are safe and fit for Nigerian consumers.
In response to some of the issues raised by the discussants, Dr. Odumodu promised that soon, agents and importers would not have to go to the Lekki office of SON but would have all their requirements met on-line through the e-platform.
The DG said the SONCAP is state policy that is backed by Federal Executive Council order and did not need any enabling act to operate.
On the allegation that SON sometimes collects SONCAP fee locally after payment has been made abroad, the DG said SONCAP is paid overseas and never locally. But on the issue of sampling locally after samples have been taken abroad, he stated that this is the practice worldwide and the reason is simple: ensure that what was tested and certified abroad is same as arrived here. Conformity is made on both ends – exporter and importer state offices
There were views that SON is insisting that only tyres made this 2014 are good, the DG said that must be a misinterpretation. He stated that tyres have four years lifespan. Tyres produced up to 2011 would still be deemed good but have just a year shelf life. A participant cited gas as one of the products that SON and NAFDAC seem to have duplicating control but the DG replied that SON has full control on gas since NAFDAC is strictly limited to foods and drugs.
As for samples some of which are designated returnable and some non-returnable, the DG said that samples that undergo destructible tests such as tryes and gas cylinders are not returnable while other samples are returnable and returned.
In the main presentation by Mr Suleiman Isa, an assistant director and head, ports operations, the agency introduced the maritime community to the one-stop shop featuring among others the ICD activities, ports operations, products registration and the interactive trade portal SON wants to use to bring its full range of services to a global community and cut person-to-person contacts to ensure seamless trade and full business relations.
The portal is being developed in three stages: 1, SON’s simulation report on trade; 2, e-invoicing and third, e-payment. The Trade report gives the list of requirements before an import can be cleared; the applicable HS code, applicable service charges, the SONCAP certificate among others. A help desk is being developed to strengthen the platform perform better.
The e-invoicing informatics provides information from a specific SGD and the relevant charges using the SON TRANSACTION on the trade portal. According to Mr Isa, only one invoice is provided for each product and assigned a security number and prevents issuance of multiple invoices for same consignment. The e-invoice can only be generated and printed out by SON E-clearance officer after completing the first stage process.
The SON e-transactions platforms: e-products registration, e-invoice and e-payment are modern features of global trade which SON had to incorporate in its desire to place Nigerian business on the same pedestal with the global community. Indeed, the schemes not only enhance trade performances generally but help improve ports operations as it ties with similar operations of state agencies and institutions involved in ports and business activities.
Virtually all the maritime operators were present and the various groups made presentations.
Dr. Odumodu drew the event to a close, calling on maritime operator to join SON in ridding the country of substandard goods, noting that the result would greatly affect national wellbeing besides the positive effects on the economy.
Okisor wrote from Lagos.
