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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that government projects with import duty waivers certificates would benefit from the four per cent Free-on-Board exemption. Also, the service added that goods imported for humanitarian, life-saving and other related purposes, beneficiaries of the Presidential Initiative for unlocking healthcare value chain and commercial airlines’ spare parts, were not left out. The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said in Lagos that manufacturers, who were currently on chapters 98 and 99 were advised to apply for pre-release of the consignment to avoid payment of demurrage, adding that members of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), who import raw materials, machines, and spares that were not currently on chapters 98 and 99 were to be onboarded in order to enjoy the exemptions provided in 5(i) above. He explained: “MAN, NCS, and the Federal Ministry of Finance will work together for the inclusion of manufacturers that are currently not on chapters 98 and 99. “An immediate tripartite consultation of the Federal Ministry of Finance, NCS, and MAN would be held immediately to work out the modalities for expedited onboarding of manufacturers on chapters 98 and 99. “In the meantime, the 4 per cent FOB payments already made by manufacturers who are yet to be onboarded to chapters 98 and 99 will be held as credit and be utilised for future customs-related transactions after their onboarding.” He noted that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria commended the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) scheme put in place by the NCS to facilitate trade, adding that the two institutions agreed that a clear guideline for admission would be issued by the Nigeria Customs Service. “Beyond existing exemptions, discussions focused on additional trade facilitation initiatives being implemented by the Nigeria Customs Service to support manufacturing operations. These include the development of one-stop shop frameworks designed to streamline regulatory processes and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, systematic reduction of unnecessary checkpoints that add costs without corresponding value, and integration of digital solutions to accelerate legitimate trade processing as well as maintain security standards.”
