90% of Nigerian bound imports under-declared, NSC tells ICPC

THE Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello has said that about 90 percent of goods imported into the country through the seaports are under-declared.

Bello, during a courtesy visit to the Acting Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), Dr Musa Abubakar in Abuja recently said the importers connive with some unscrupulous officials at the ports to undervalue their goods.

He added that this has in turn robbed government of billions of Naira revenue.

Bello disclosed that the Council is introducing Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) which according to him is a technology that will track all goods from the countries of export till such goods arrive Nigerian ports.

He explained that with the technology, there will be no hiding place for fraudulent importers.

He added, “The number of weapons and other illegal things coming in our seaports is alarming but with the advance tracking note, we can detect all the weapons.

“Electronic payment will ensure that there is a minimal human interface as this will reduce corruption at the ports.”

“Once we reduce corruption at the ports, the impact will mean that more goods will come through our ports because we are in competition with other neighbouring ports. People prefer neighbouring ports because they are less corrupt and more efficient.”

Bello called for collaboration between the ICPC and his Council to achieve best practices at the nation’s ports.

In his response, Abubakar promised to collaborate with the ports economic regulator to address the malpractices in the ports.

The ICPC boss said “I am happy that our previous collaboration has yielded a positive result. We will continue to collaborate. We had discovered some lapses in the ports and have suggested ways to avoid them. But as time goes on, people will still create ways to benefit from the system so it is necessary to resuscitate that collaboration.”