Expert Tasks FG On Destination Inspection Scheme

The National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero, has raised alarm that the Federal Government should revert the Destination Inspection scheme for security and safety concern at the country’s gateways.

According to him, government should revert back to the pre-shipment era at the ports, alleging that destination inspection scheme is vulnerable to terrorist exploitation because it allows influx of sub standard goods into the country, such as arms and ammunition, contraband and dangerous security items.

Specifically, Amiwero said that the scheme exposes the nation to serious security threat, which is not in line with global best practice of the safe framework of standard to secure and facilitate global trade and the International Standard Organisation (ISO) TC 104 on freight containers.

The Federal Government had in 2006 abolished the pre-shipment inspection scheme and replaced it with destination inspection.

Amiwero, who made this call recently in Lagos, said  that before the United State of America (USA)’s terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the Nigeria Customs Service was responsible for the clearance of imported goods at destination, but the event of 9/11 precipitated a change in cargo inspection from destination to inspection of goods at port of loading due to monitoring of supply chain mechanism of substandard products to destination.

“The inspection regime globally changed from destination inspection to pre-sreening based on the safe framework and the ISO TC 104 freight containers, but Nigeria is still practicing destination inspection that encourages influx of substandard product due to the process, by allowing all consignment into the country without pre-screening of the container, which is not within the safe framework and global best practice.”

He added that when Customs officers inspect cargoes from countries of origin, importation of substandard products into the country would be reduced.

“Pre-screening might not go into given contract to pre-shipment inspection agents. Customs might be sent out to do that job. Because, when you look at your targets areas, most of our cargoes are coming in from China, India, among others. You can just have some customs men in most of the ports that will go for inspection. If that is done, importation of substandard products into the country will be reduced,” he said.

  —Esthers Komolafe