Customs to Replace CISS, 7% Fees With 4% FOB Levy — Adeniyi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will scrap its 7 per cent collection from the federation account and the 1 per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) fee, replacing both with a 4 per cent Free on Board (FOB) levy, Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi has said.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Lagos on the B’Odogwu clearance system, Adeniyi said the FOB levy will support the agency’s technological upgrades and address duplication in charges.

“We have no choice in the payment of the 4 per cent FOB because it is needed by the Customs to fund the huge technology and modernisation programme it has embarked upon,” he said.

“When we introduced this levy some months ago, we were asked to hold on and consult with our stakeholders.

“I am now telling you that we have no choice but to introduce the levy because technology does not come cheap and in a Yoruba parlance, ‘the soup that is sweet is as a result of money’.”

According to Adeniyi, the FOB charge will eliminate the current 1 per cent CISS pre-shipment inspection fee and the 7 per cent Customs collection charge, streamlining costs for importers.

He added that the B’Odogwu platform, formally known as the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), is part of the service’s move from NICIS II to an indigenous, fully digital platform to boost transparency and clearance efficiency.

“The Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), popularly known as B’Odogwu, is a fully digital platform designed to streamline customs operations, eliminate bottlenecks, and promote transparency in Nigeria’s import and export systems,” he said.

“Now that we have the WCO Council Chairmanship with us, let us use the opportunity to sell B’Odogwu to the world and tell them that we have the capacity and competence to develop our technology to enhance our operations and facilitate trade.”