The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has disclosed its decision to commence online auction of seized and condemned goods to qualified persons from July 1.
The NCS made this known on Saturday in a post on its website www.customs.gov.ng. According to the statement, the decision followed repeated tests of the e-auction platform created by the Service. It certified that the Service was satisfied with the workings of the platform hence the decision to launch.
"The portal is now fully networked to designated banks to ensure money accruing from the auction gets to the Central bank of Nigeria Treasury Single Account for transparency and accountability. After receiving the report, the Comptroller General of Customs ,Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali(Rtd) directed the auction committee to ensure that only proper pictures of the goods as well as detailed information about each are uploaded to avoid any misgiving.He further stressed the need for more weeks to enable interested members of the public to obtain their Tax identification numbers (TIN) from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) before the commencement date."
The statement adds that "the platform which is highly interactive will only give access to holders of TIN. Such tax payers will log in, read the guidelines, pay the non refundable one thousand auction fee and proceed to bid for the items on auction".
The Comptroller General of NCS, Hameed Ali had in 2015 suspended manual auctioning of seized goods in line with Presidential mandate targeted at restructuring and reforming the organization for greater efficiency.
He had posited that Manual auction was identified as non competitive and opened to abuses hence its suspension. He thereafter set up a committee to develop an e-auction platform that is secured, transparent and guarantees equal opportunities to all Nigerians
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Meanwhile, the NCS has advised all Nigerians intending to bid for seized goods to obtain their TIN issued by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) before the commencement of the auction in July.
