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.
For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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