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NASS Directs Customs To Suspend GTBank From Seaport Duty Collection
Fred Omotara, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it’s decision to suspend GTBank from the list of commercial banks collecting duty at the ports is sequel to a National Assembly directive.
Confirming the development to the kadecommunicationng, Customs National Spokesman, DC Timi Bomodi explained that the temporary suspension on GTBank is down to a directive from the National Assembly.
In the words of the Customs National Spokesman, “We have removed GTBank from our payment portal following a directive from the National Assembly.”
Meanwhile, one week after the suspension of GTBank from duty collection at the ports, clearing agents are already lamenting over it’s attendant implication.
According to the agents, “We are currently not getting approval from Customs on duty paid to government via GTBank.
“It seems the issue is between GTBank and Customs because duty paid via other commercial banks are being attended to by Customs. It is only GTBank that is affected.
“This has been on since last week Friday. We initially thought it was a network thing, but when we noticed that duty paid on other banks are being attended to, we realised it is an issue with GTBank.
“Due to this, demurrages and storage charges on cargoes that are not being attended to are gradually building up. This is not fair to we agents because at the end of the whole issue, we will bear the cost of paying those accumulated demurrages.
“Many agents have paid duty via GTBank already. Many are still paying because they don’t know Customs is not attending to duty paid via GTBank. As Customs is not processing such payment, who bears the cost of demurrages