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Nigeria: Port Congestion - FG to Seize Undeclared Goods

Chuks Okocha

4 January 2009

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Abuja — As part of efforts to tackle the problem of port congestion, the Federal Government will henceforth seize all goods imported into the country that were under declared by the importers.

Also all stakeholders will on Tuesday in Lagos meet with all goverment officials in the maritime industry to find a lasting solution to the perennial crisis of port congestion.

According to the Nigeria Customs Circular No: 26/2008 made available to THISDAY, with the title, "Discrepancies in Declaration", government, after meeting with the stakeholders in Lagos plans to enforce the order on under declaration of imported goods by importers.

To this effect, the circular said that government had given a two-week grace to all importers engaged in the under-declaration of imported goods to rectify the under declared goods or have their goods seized or forfeited to government.

THISDAY gathered that the circular blamed over 80 per cent of port congestion on the discrepancies in the declaration of imported good.

As part of the measure to control port congestion and discrepancies in the declaration of goods, the same Federal Government Customs Circular 26/ 2008 mandated all shipping companies to submit the manifest of their imported goods to the Nigeria Customs.

Already, it was gathered that the issue of port congestion had been part of series of meetings between the Minister of Transport, Hon. Ibrahim Issa Bio, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Muktar.

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