New Telegraph

Customs agents fret over lack of single window, inadequate scanners

Clearing agents under the umbrella of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have said that lack of National Single Window (NSW) platform, activities of the Customs’ police and inadequate scanners are stifling trade facilitation and impeding cargo clearance process at the seaports.

The agents explained that Nigeria was one of the few countries in West and Central Africa that had not fully operated the single window platform despite efforts aimed at improving efficiency at the port. They stressed that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s police unit was frustrating cargo clearance at the ports. The acting President of ANLCA, Dr Kayode Farinto, noted that the activities of the Customs police unit should limit their operation to core disciplinary measure instead of dabbling into cargo clearance, stressing that competent and trained officer in the service should be appointed as head of service instead of a retired military officer with no experience about how the service operates.

He said: “Then the role of Customs police should be confined to only disciplinary measures for their officers. They do not have any value to add to cargo clearance. There are a lot of factors militating against the maritime industry in Nigeria, including lack of infrastructure such as scanners to speed up cargo examination by Customs and other government agencies, numerous agencies of governments at the seaport carrying out similar functions.”

Farinto advised the Federal Government to provide more scanners at the port, stating that the ones procured were not enough as they have capacity to inspect 400 containers daily. Also, he noted that despite the presence of the scanners, some officers still subject cargoes to 100 per cent examination in the ports. Although, the acting president said that the scanners were not enough, saying that only very few were functional, while some agencies ignored the scanning image analysis. Farinto said: “They want to subject cargo to the initial physical examination. Everybody should key into the scanner image analysis report and in line with what Customs says, every agencies can have the scanner results in the comfort of their office then we should begin to look into that direction.’’

Meanwhile, the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs on Modernisation and ICT, Saidu Galadima, had explained that the scanners would examine a container in 35 seconds and would have four hours of rest every day. He explained: “The scanners will only scan 400 containers daily with four hours to rest.

For every 20 feet container, the scanner will take an average of 35 seconds each to scan. For every 40feet container, the scanners will scan them at an average of 55 seconds each. “The scanners have been configured into our NICIS 2 platform. During image analysis, clearing agents won’t have any business there. The image analysis area will be a ‘no go’ zone for agents.

The scanning area will be a controlled area. We won’t allow people to loiter there.” It would be recalled in November 2022, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, commissioned three mobile cargo scanners to curb the inflow of prohibited items to the country through the ports and bordeers. Ahmed urged the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), port terminal operators and all stakeholders to work with the NCS to take full advantage of the scanners. In July 2020, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved $18.12 million for purchase of the cargo scanners to ease port operations and eliminate 100 per cent examination, corruption and sluggish cargo clearance procedure.

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