The Federal Government has introduced a temporary Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) default arrangement to resolve issues affecting the attachment of Shipment Certificates during the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) processing on the National Single Window (NSW) platform.
In a notice issued to importers yesterday, the NSW management said the intervention is designed for only importers with valid Shipment Certificates (SCs), who have encountered technical or procedural difficulties uploading the required documentation.
According to the notice, under the temporary measure, SON has waived all SONCAP default fees ordinarily applicable in such cases with importers required to pay a nominal administrative charge of N1,000 through the NSW platform to access the service.
The notice stated that the initiative allows eligible importers to proceed with PAAR processing while awaiting resolution of document attachment issues, thereby preventing cargo clearance delays and associated costs at the ports.
Already over 10,000 containers are trapped at the port due to issues surrounding SONCAP and PAAR, with importers, customs agents and freight forwarders already counting losses in demurrage with Lagos ports congested.
The notice stated that to utilise the provision, importers are required to apply via the NSW platform by selecting the “Temporary SONCAP Default” option under consignment documents.
The notice urged applicants to upload a valid Shipment Certificate and commercial invoice in PDF format before submitting for SON approval, adding that upon approval, they can proceed with PAAR processing.
The authorities emphasised that the temporary measure does not replace standard SONCAP compliance requirements, noting that submitted documents must be valid and accurate.
The authorities further added that the measure takes immediate effect and will remain in force until May 10, 2026, after which full compliance with standard SONCAP procedures will resume.
Leave a Reply