Port Congestion : Adeniyi explains task force plans
In order to tackle the problem of ports congestion headlong, the Federal Government of Nigeria has constituted a multi disciplinary task force to handle the exercise across the nation’s sea ports.
This disclosure was made by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Wale Adeniyi while speaking during an exclusively to Business and Maritime Summit recently in Lagos, Nigeria.
According to him, the task force is composed of stakeholders drawn from the federal Ministries of Finance and Transport, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigeria Police,, the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), Licensed Customs Agents and Terminal Operators.
Adeniyi explained that among others, the task force was determined to give opportunities to everybody that could contribute to the achievement of Government’s desire to decongest the ports.
Under the new arrangement, the Customs image-maker disclosed that importers are required to follow the clearing processes that are IT-driven by going to make a declaration of what goods they have.
Already, Direct Traders Input cafes have been established in designated places for the purposes of fast-tracking the clearing process.
These declarations, Adeniyi added, are transmitted to the task force electronically with which the task force had been conducting inspection of imported goods.
Apparently due to fears of arrest by various security agencies of the government involved in the exercise, the Customs PRO noted that importers have not been coming up to clear their goods saying, “importers’ turn-out has been low”.
He however allayed the fear as these security agencies were merely present to observe the process and report to the government and not to arrest any importers at the ports.
Adeniyi added that similar exercise had taken place at the Onne Port in 2003 assuring importers to confidently come up and clear their goods.