Customs seeks partnership with security, regulatory agencies
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), TinCan Island Command, on Wednesday sought for partnership with heads of security and regulatory agencies, for full automation and integration into Customs platform.
The Customs Area Controller Tincan Island Port, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, made the appeal in a statement in Lagos, signed by the commands Public Relations Officer, Uche Ejesieme.
Oloyede made the request during his sensitisation and awareness lectures on the raging controversy over the VIN Valuation Policy, with the port manager and heads of security/regulatory agencies in the port.
According to him, the partnership will enhance synergy and collaboration in port operations and is good for ease of communication and effective regulation.
“I solicit the support of all security and regulatory agencies and urge them to ensure intelligence/Information sharing, as the task of nation building is a collective responsibility.
“There is need for understanding of sister agencies for the actualisation of my mandate,” he said.
He listed such organisations as the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and others.
Oloyede, in his awareness lectures, said that the VIN Valuation Regime provides transparency and simplification for both the importer and the customs.
He said that the VIN policy had the tendency of mitigating corruption as a non intrusive module, and was in tandem with the Arusha declaration and Kyoto Convention, to which Nigeria is signatory.
“The VReg Policy ensures that stolen cars will not have access to our clime amongst other benefits of accountability, as the Service are oftentimes inundated with requests for retrieval of stolen vehicles by Interpol,” he said.
Oloyede noted that the nature of global trade advocated full automation and simplification of Customs Clearance in accordance with article 1 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
He said that the service engaged with stakeholders through series of webinar and publication before deployment of the VIN Valuation Policy.
The Customs Area Controller specifically stated that the impasse on VIN Valuation was consequent upon misuse of procedure pertaining to inappropriate code usage for Standard and non- Standard VIN.
On their part, the port manager and other heads of security/regulatory agencies assured the CAC of their unalloyed support.
They thanked him for educating them on the VIN Valuation issue.
