BusinessCustoms Agents Support Moves on Ports Automation

Customs Agents Support Moves on Ports Automation

July 13, (THEWILL) – Customs clearing agents have expressed support for the efforts of the Federal Government to ensure effective trade facilitation in Nigeria through the automation of ports’ operations.

The Chairman, Tin Can Island Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mohammed Mojeed, said the Nigerian Shippers ‘ Council (NSC) had succeeded in getting shipping service providers and consumers to have an interface through digitalisation.

Mojeed, who spoke to journalists at the weekend, said members of the ANLCA were pleased with the efforts made by the ports economic regulator, considering the positive impact on achieving an efficient service delivery at the ports.

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He said that since the Council became the lead agency on the Nigerian Ports Process Manual (NPPM), which is all about enforcing ease of doing business at the ports by the Federal Government, a lot of awareness had been created by the Council on the need for digitalisation among customs agents.

He commended shipping companies and other service providers for their increasing level of digitalisation, stressing that many shipping companies had increased their level of online services for the process of clearing goods at the ports.

Disclosing that members of the association had also keyed into the digitalisation agenda, he said the national executive of ANLCA, apart from training members of the association, had advised that they bring their secretaries or representatives for online training so as to be a part of the ports automation.

The ANLCA boss explained that one of the reasons why there was a delay in the clearing of goods at the ports was because his association had been battling the issue of multiple alerts.

He said the issues of manual examination and multiple alerts combined to cause delays and lead to demurrage at the ports, adding that those who benefit over this were the terminal operators.

Mojeed described as painful the issue of multiple alerts, adding that most of the time it was discovered to be frivolous and intended to extort customs agents.

He said it was discovered that such alerts were initiated by some junior customs officers to extort importers and their customs agents.

He disclosed that his association had met with the Controller of Tin Can Island Customs, Mr MBA Musa, over the issue of multiple alerts, who had to intervene about three months ago and told officers that there should be genuine reasons before any alert is issued on any consignment.

Mojeed also condemned the issue of Task Forces staying close to the port’s gates, as against the 40 kilometers distance stipulated by the Customs and Excise Law.

About the Author

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Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.

Sam Diala, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.

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