It may no longer be business as usual for officials of government agencies who partake in physical examination of containers at the nation’s ports as the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has mapped out strategies to protect their members from extortion.
ANLCA National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, told SHIPS & PORTS DAILY that one of the measures adopted by the association is to educate its members on the importance of ensuring that their importers insist that pictures of their goods are taken, at the port of origin, before loading and sealed into containers, with the pictures sent ahead to them (the agents) before the arrival of the containers at their destination.
He also said that his members are being taught how to use their smart phones to take pictures of the content of their containers when opened for examination, and will soon be provided with pocket printers to enable them print out hardcopy of the pictures which will serve as evidence when doubts about the content of their examined containers arises.
“One of the problems our people have is that when people are sent to go and do examination, just because they cannot get money from you they go back and report something else. The idea of young officers who are sent to go and do examination, who report to chief examiner who did not go there and rely on what did you give, that will be a thing of the past,” the ANLCA boss said.
He said that the measures are to ensure the workability of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) scheme.
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