Freight forwarders, under the aegis of Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), have countered Federal Government and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) on why End User Certificate (EUC) is required to clear some certain cargoes at the nation’s ports.
According to SNFFIEC, some cargoes do not require EUC before they can be cleared but Customs are demanding that it should be based on the directives from the office of NSA.
An EUC is a document used in international transfers, including sales of arms, weapons and ammunition, to certify that the buyer is the final recipient of the materials, and is not planning on transferring the materials to another party.
Speaking with Daily Sun at the Apapa port, the National Coordinator of SNFFIEC, Chukwu Osita, said the demand for EUC for some special cargoes has resulted in thousands of cargo being trapped in the nation’s seaports, which was against Ease of Doing Business policy in the country.
According to him, the usage of the EUC for some special cargoes, such as vehicles, gas cylinder and private boats which are not contraband or prohibited, has also led to revenue loss and cargo congestion.
“EUC is for military inclined cargoes. If I am importing a consignment for the military, I would need the certificate so that they would give me authority to load the cargo. But in this case, Customs has extended the demand for End User Certificate on various cargoes, thereby making it difficult for us to clear.
“Securing the End User Certificate is very difficult. The major thing I am challenging now is the legitimacy of the NSA to ask Customs not to entertain any cargo without the EUC. We want explanations from NSA and if they fails to communicate us within seven days notice, we will go to court to seek clarifications on this matter,” he added.
Meanwhile, all efforts to get reactions from the office of NSA proved abortive as the phone number (+234 809 038 5718) provided on its website (https://euc.nsa.gov.ng) to resolve any dispute or questions as regards to EUC was not reachable.