Business
MAN Backs New Customs Clearing System
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has commended the single window initiative by the Nigeria Customs Service, saying it would eliminate human contact, bottlenecks and corruption from goods clearing environment.
President of the association, Chief Kola Jamodu, described it in Lagos recently at the end of single window workshop organised by the Customs Service, as a necessary platform needed to significantly boost government revenue from trans-border trade. Besides, he said it would help in actualizing the nation’s dream for 48-hour cargo clearing scheme.
“From all accounts, the aspiration of the Government and the private sector is the attainment of 48-hour cargo-clearing, which at present is about five days, having come down from the dismal 40 days obtainable three to four years ago.
“The impressive reduction in the long chain of regulatory/ security agencies operating at the port from about 19 to seven were to prepare the port for the Single Window Clearing System. This will no doubt significantly reduce both direct and indirect costs of clearing cargoes in the country,’’ he said adding, that the NSW would certainly increase the competitiveness of locally produced goods, either for domestic consumption or for export.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has assured the nation that when the NSW comes on stream, it might wipe off stakeholders’ complaints on issues of man-made bottlenecks in cargo administration.
“The creation of a NSW holds many benefits for Nigeria: increased levels of service efficiency, predictable process and elimination of administrative bottlenecks; and which will ultimately increase revenue and economic growth”, he declared, in a statement delivered by Deputy Comptroller General (DCG), Mr. J. Atteh, who represented him at the workshop.
According to the Customs’ boss, single window was a tool which manufacturers, exporters, importers, terminal operators, financial houses and regulatory bodies have all been waiting for.
“The Nigeria Customs Service recognizes these benefits and therefore reiterates its continuous commitment to creating the perfect NSW for Nigeria as the leading agency. All hands are on deck to realize the target of improving our trading across borders ranking by 50 percent in the next five years”, he said.
Meanwhile, a Single Window expert, Johan Ponten has advised that though the initiative was a positive change, Nigeria must ensure that it proactively implement plans to prepare and support those to be affected by it.
Presenting his feasibility study as a resource person, Ponten stressed the need for proper use of communication to intimate reasons behind every decision, for staff see reasons and understand why such change was needed, as well as the possibilities and challenges that lay ahead of them.
“New information should be given in a coordinated, effective and timely way. Roles should be clear, detailing who is responsible for sending what messages” he counseled, even as reiterated the need for accuracy of information, being precisely shared at regularly arranged stakeholders’ fora. “If stakeholders are not convinced about what they are listened to, they will go silent” he posited further. In her contribution, resource person and NSW content enhancer, Valentina Mintah traced NSW journey back to strenuous and painstaking efforts, studies and stakeholders meetings held between April, 2012 and September 2012, especially from the first National Stakeholders Conference which was supported by UNECE, UNECA and the WCO, organized by the NCS and MAN to enable both the private and public sectors define the concept of the NSW.
“There have been a number of attempts at Single Window implementations around the world with a mixed bag of outcomes. Successful implementations such as Singapore, Senegal and Thailand have organically grown their Single Window environment by focusing on the streamlining of processes; empowerment of system operators and users; the inclusion of private sector in implementation activities; strong technical capacity; the creation of ICT systems owned by the nation; strong consultation framework and sound governance and management structures.
“To ensure a similar success story, if not better, we adopted a systematic approach of conducting a Feasibility Study by ensuring adequate focus was given to the 4Ps, which is People, Processes, Platform and Policy”, she highlighted, noting that the feasibility study involved days of desk research, countless stakeholder meetings and strategic site observations to ensure that the needs of the nation’s trade environment was fully captured, the gaps understood and a road map laid out to help in a collective attainment of vision.
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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