The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), on Wednesday, disclosed that he inherited obsolete and broken-down scanners at the nation’s seaports when he assumed office.
Ali who was on an inspection tour of some customs facilities in Lagos also said the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation system had come to stay and that there was no going back on it.
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Recall that commercial activities at Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, were grounded by freight forwarders who were protesting the sudden implementation of VIN by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Speaking with media men at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, at the end of the inspection tour cum pre-passing out parade of cadets, Col. Ali said he ordered for the purchase of 135 scanners which, according to him, would soon be distributed to all seaports and land borders to facilitate trade.
“When I came in most of the scanners were all run down. Information Technology components, especially as regards scanners, are time bound. The highest they will stay is about seven years. Even the manufacturers of the scanners will tell you that after seven years you may not get the spare parts again,” he noted.
Ali also insisted that the VIN valuation system was introduced following a series of complaints by freight forwarders regarding the disparities in the customs valuation system, adding he listened to complaints from importers on the need for uniformed valuation of goods.
“I promised them that we will harmonise these things; put them together in one compartment. And God so kind ICT is in place and my staff went to work and now the valuation has been harmonised and we now have a single valuation. So, I think it has come to stay and we will make sure it succeeds,” said Ali.
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