A renowned lecturer of the Lagos
Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University, Frank Ojadi, has raised
alarm that the planned reintroduction of the controversial Cargo
Tracking Note (CTN) by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) will not
only attract charges, but also increase the cost of doing business at
the nation’s seaport.
Ojadi, who is the head, Operations
Management Department of LBS with specialisation in transport logistics,
said his investigation on Nigerian ports over a period of five years,
has shown that CTN has logistic implication that attract charges, which
shows that it would not be at zero cost to shippers as argued by NSC.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos
recently, he said that CTN was abolished almost immediately it was
introduced in 2010 due to the high cost it imposed on importers and
exporters.
Ojadi, who stated that CTN will not be
able to check under-declaration or corruption at the ports as claimed by
the NSC, also said that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has the means
and ways of monitoring the risks associated with imports in Nigerian
ports.
“Curiously NSC has been silent on who
bears the cost of this scheme. Economic regulation of port operations
does not cover issues of this nature. This appears to be another
taxation, which will lead to increase in the cost of doing business in
Nigeria,” he said.
Ojadi, who explained that CTN cannot be
issued without inspection of the cargo from port origin to confirm the
content of the container, also affirmed that the Council need to appoint
agents to carry out this function in all ports of origin, where
Nigerians import from and this must have cost implication.
“Clean Reports of Inspection (CRI) were
issued at foreign ports by appointed agents during the pre-shipment era
and CTN will not be different. The organisation to issue the CTN has to
be present at the ports of origin, which are scattered all over the
world. Who will pay for this service? Or are we going to restrict all
imports to Nigeria to specific ports abroad?” questioned the LBS don.
Ojadi also tasked the NSC to come clean
on the modalities for issuing the CTN before shipment is done. “If you
are aiming to stop trade fraud, then you must ensure that all imports
follow the Form M procedures and prosecute all cases of concealment
and/or false declaration of imports.”
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