Maritime
Boniface inaugurates 100% Presidential compliance team at the NAGAFF headquarters
Worried by the growing level on non-compliance among freight forwarders, the Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has enjoined freight forwarders to ensure compliance to all port regulations.
Aniebonam stated this while speaking at the inauguration of 100 per cent presidential compliance team at the NAGAFF headquarters on Friday 21st February, 2020.
Freight forwarders from all the various branches across the entire freight forwarding industry were invited and members from these various branches announced their presence and pledged their support to Dr. Aniebonam submission stressing that the issue of compliance is very critical in the logistics and supply chain sector. For about 85 minutes, Dr. Aniebonam enjoined freight forwarders to adhere strictly to the level of compliance which he described as critical in the logistics chain sector.
His words: “Right now, there is a problem at the ports which has to do with the level of compliance to port regulations and stressed that compliance is very critical and freight forwarders need to ensure that they comply with all regulations.”
The general believe is that most Nigerian importers break customs laws. Comptroller Musa Baba Abdullahi who is the controller Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria customs Service once declared this level of allegation on the nation’s importers.
Expatiating further Abdullahi said that if we are to rate it generally, we can say we have about 30 per cent compliant level and advised that Nigeria importers need to dwell in educating importers and agents on the advantage of compliant stressing that there are rewards for compliance. Part of the reward for compliance is fast track.
The World Customs Organisation and World Trade Organisation have created this standard and the standards are clear. What is most important is that the importer or trader has to be compliant. Ease of doing business policy of the government is for compliant traders to facilitate trade and not to facilitate fraud.
The law provides that certain containers should be sanned and some should go for physical examination. If your own happens to fall within those ones which are supposed to be examined pohysically, do we then push them to scanning because we want to facilitate trade?
I have gone to these extent to state the tremendous advantages for traders who practice compliance as now being preached by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam to his NAGAFF followers.
National Daily correspondent gathered that we have compliant operators. We have the blue chips companies and we have the manufacturers. But if we are to rate it generally, we can say we have about 30 per cent compliant level. It is therefore, gratifying that the NAGAFF founder, has now resolved at educating his members and agents on the advantages of compliant, stressing that there are rewards for compliance. Part of the reward for compliance is fast track. That you are seen to be compliant, you are granted an opportunity to take your consignment to your premises for physical examination process. So as soon as you pay and it assesses automatically, you are free to take your consignment as soon as the terminal operators releases it and you go.
In his determined bid to facilitate honest trade facilitation, Dr. Aniebonam assembled some of his members – about fifty or more with the mandate to promote compliance and facilitate trade in our ports and to further reinforce chapter efforts in stamping out corrupt practices militating against trade facilitation.
The team is also designed to abolish the use of camp boys and to stop excessive sampling by agencies in the ports, traffic gridlock and other excesses that may require team interventions.
It is therefore, expected that with the present steps initiated by the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Aniebonam who have made a passionate plea to all the members of the Freight Forwarders in the country, it is expected that there may be an appreciable increase in the number of compliant members who will now resolve to adhere to honest practices in their trade facilitation in the country