CRFFN, Customs in war of words over foreign dominance of freight forwarding

Harboursandport.com: Lagos---- While the freight forwarders in the country are groaning over foreign domination, both the Council for the Regulation of Freight forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, the body established to regulate and protect the practitioners and the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, that licenses Customs Brokers in the country, have disagreed over who is responsible for the foreign dominance.

Registrar of CRFFN, Mike Jukwe

Some freight forwarders estimate that the country losses about N100 billion annually to foreign operators in the sector.

The immediate past Chairman of the Council and Managing Director of Talod Oceanair Freight Limited, Hakeem Olarenwaju, lamented the gradually take over the clearing and forwarding business in the country Chinese, Indians and other foreign nationals.

Olarenwaju also blamed the management of Customs for issuance of clearing license to the foreigners. The former CRFFN boss stated that citizens from other countries have been able to take over the clearing of cargoes and other operations in the port environment because they are now being licensed by the Nigeria Customs Service.

Registrar of CRFFN, Mike Jukwe, said that the Council does not register any foreigner unless it is a company who’s Chief Executive Officer, CEO or Chief Operating Officer COO is a Nigerian.

Jukwe blamed the Customs for licensing Customs Brokers without reference to the Council as contained in the establishing law.

Managing Director of Talod Oceanair Freight Limited, Alh. Hakeem Olarenwaju

According to him, “As far as the Council is concern before you get license you have to be registered with the Council, if they are not following up, we do not know how they are getting the license. They are not, I not do know how they are coming into it, I do not know at all, if they are following our laws and by registering does that are registered with us, then there will be no problem.

“It customs are following what section 19 (1-2) says, 19 (1-2) says that before Customs can give any license to a freight forwarder, the Freight Forwarder is suppose to register with CRFFN and to register with CRFFN you must be a Nigerian. We cannot register anyone knowing that that person is a foreigner except there is local content.

National Public Relations Officer of NCS, Joseph Attah

“You know a lot of them get the license without following the CRFFN to ensure whether they are registered with CRFFN or not. Maybe by next year Customs will begin to follow it up because Customs is now beginning to realise that they have to work with us not like before.

Similarly, National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Joseph Attah, also said that the Service does not license individuals both corporate entities. Attah noted that the Service do not have control over who such corporate entities decides to engage.

In his words, “We only register an incorporated company that is a company that registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC and if the company is so registered to carry out this business, the company is qualified.

Commenting on the effect of the domination of the profession by foreigners, the National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Olayiwola Shittu, told Vanguard that government seems lack of interest in the profession has resulted in its domination by foreigners.

He observed on their part, ANLCA would have loved to tackle the problem but lack of funds makes it difficult for them to pursue that line of action. He said what is needed is a lot of advocacy and enlightenment.

The ANCLA boss pointed out that while even if they decide to embark on the campaign today, the foreigners who are fully loaded would go to the right place to ensure their efforts do not see the light of the day. Another difficulty according to Shittu is the fact that most of the foreign outfits try to bit the law by appointing some Nigerians as Chairman and Board members to give their company a Nigerian outlook to be able to operate without hindrance.

In an earlier interview, shittu had said that the federal government losses over N100 billion annually from the activities of foreign freight forwarding groups in the country. He said this is so because these foreign operators also have their bonded terminals and move any consignment from the port unchecked.