The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Trade facilitation

  • ‘Collaboration key to trade facilitation’

    Embracing partnerships is critical to achieving the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government,  the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), has said.

    Its Executive Secretary of of Mr Hassan Bello said trade facilitation will not only increase the patronage of Nigerian seaports by shippers, customs agents and shipping companies, it will enhance ports development and make operations be at par with what is obtainable in ports of advanced nation’s.

    He said while over 70 per cent of cargoes imported through the nation’s port are under declared, adoption of technology and electronic platform in the seaports will check the challenge of sharp practices at the ports.

    According to him, plans are underway to introduce the National Single Window Project which is an electronic platform to which all stakeholders in the port system will be connected and  check all forms of unwholesome practices like under declaration of goods by importers and agents.

    Bello also advised shippers and freight forwarders to learn to be more sincere in their transactions in the import trade. He said the introduction of scanners in the examination of goods will assist in detecting and checking fraudulent practices such as under declaration and concealment among others.

    Bello said the issue of insincerity on the part of some shippers may have made Customs place more emphasis on 100 per cent cargo examination with a view to detecting sharp practices as well as ensuring that the Federal Government is not robbed of its revenue on cargoes. He urged government agencies to collaborate and improve on automation.

    Importers and exporters also said there was need for government agencies to collaborate and reduce the time of clearing goods from the port.

    Among the inherent benefits of partnership among the government agencies.  An importer, Chief Albert Ogunsiji lamented non availability of information to all agencies.

    He said collaboration and  partnerships among government agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs  Service can(NCS), and other regulatory agencies, is fundamental to achieving success in maritime trade.

    He said: “Trying to do things alone or hiding vital and privileged information from others will not give adequate results in any given port operation.

    “As a company, we have never done things on our own.

    “Though we have my ideas at every point in time in our business life, but we have always done partnerships because most times, other people are privy to information we do not have.

    “Partnerships have also helped in propelling our visions and aspirations in life. So, we are urging the heads of maritime agencies not to keep their visions and information to their organisation s.”

    He said when he ventured into the importing business, creating jobs and giving people good life were the motivating factors.

    “I went to borrow N10 million from my uncle’s friend and went to the bank to borrow another N10 million and commenced the business.

    “And holding on to God and with the help of other people I shared my aspiration and visions with, within few years, we were able to grow the company to a tune of N25billion,”he said.

    He  also advised the youths to brace for the challenges of life early enough, just as he urged them not to allow ‘poverty mentality’ deter them from realising their dreams.

  • NPA’s trade facilitation excites operators, stakeholders, importers

    The Nigerian Ports Authority  (NPA) has embarked on trade facilitation programmes to boost trade at the ports, and the importers and clearing agents are happy for it, The Nation has learnt.

    Its Managing Director (MD) Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, it was gathered, has directed the agency’s officials to attend to every document on their table within 24 hours or be sanctioned.

    Some senior officers of the authority, it was gathered, had been queried for delaying customers’ papers.

    Sources at NPA said she had instructed every staff member to adopt the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government by fast-tracking cargo clearance papers and implementing  government policies on quick cargo clearance to  to generate more revenue and boost the  economy.

    No paper, it was learnt, stays on her table for more than 24 hours without receiving attention.

    Sources said she had to go to some departments last week to ensure that customers’ papers were not delayed.

    This new approach, it was learnt, was responsible for the success the authority recorded at the ports and  in terms of the modernisation and transformation of NPA’s operations, a development, which importers and other operators said, contributed to the quick clearance of cargoes from the  ports

    The MD, stakeholders said, had no option than to embark on trade facilitation because she had received the support of President Muhammadu Buhari to re-organise and manage one of the highest revenue-yielding government agencies.

    Her zeal and patriotism for the development of  the economy, findings revealed, was responsible for why she was appointed to carry out the onerous task which, stakehold-ers said, she had  done diligently.

    TheAssociation of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said Ms Usman does not joke with trade facilitation.

    “No paper stays on Ms Usman’s table for more than 12 hours before she releases them for quick cargo clearance.This is also because she has made the principle her watch word since her assumption of office as the Managing Director and in all the ports.

    “She believes that when any document experiences delay, the implications can be more. Thus, as far as she is concerned, prompt treatment of documents is a must in port operations.

    ‘’According to her, the documents represent money and the government needs the money to develop tpeople,“ he said.

    Shittu also described Ms Usman as a humble and listening leader who attend to every issue brought to her attention to attract business to the port.

    Besides, a senior officer of the authority, Mr Ibrahim Nosiru and others who do not want their names in print, said Ms Usman had inculcated her trade facilitation message in her officers and taught them why they must not delay documents.

    “The Managing Director has tutored us that when you delay import documents, you increase the cost of clearing such goods, because you make the importers to accumulate demurrage and you delay the purpose for which such goods would have been put to used for the proper development of  the economy, ” he said.

     

     

  • ANLCA urges members on trade facilitation

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has urged its members to keep supporting the Federal Government’s trade facilitation programme.

    Investigations have revealed that the association mandated its members to follow all Customs’ rules and regulations associated with quick cargo clearance as the “Ember” months and the Yuletide season approach.

    The association’s Public Relation Officer, Dr Kayode Farinto, said the group has undergone various structural and operational changes in line with the freight forwarding profession with a view to attaining global standards and best practices.

    “ANLCA at national and  state levels has enforced compliance on members with the ethics and rules governing the profession aimed at creating a robust working relationship with all stakeholders, with emphasis on the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

    “ANLCA as a major stakeholder in the clearing and freight forwarding profession, has played tremendous role and impact in trade facilitation and revenue generation into the federal coffers.

    “These are reflected in most Customs area commands as clearing agents have created adequate partnership with officers and men of the service with a view to enhancing revenue generation and facilitate trade,” the image maker said.

    The new vigour injected by the current administration of Prince Olayiwola Shittu,  Farinto said, has created a multiplier effect at most ANLCA chapters anchored on handwork, discipline, transparency and result-oriented programmes.

     

  • ‘Shippers Council as port economic regulator’ll drive trade facilitation’

    The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive officer, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello has said that the appointment of the council as the nation’s port economic regulator has given it further impetus to drive trade facilitation initiative at the nation’s ports and to ensure that the country reaps the dividend of the port concession exercise.

    Bello made the disclosure at the Nigerian Shippers Council town hall meeting with stakeholders in Kaduna, Kaduna state.

    According to the executive secretary, who was represented by the Deputy Director Public Relations Mr. Ignatius Ngoke, the town hall meeting with stakeholders was part of strategic efforts for assessing the impact of market forces on shipping service delivery.

    “The main objective of this meeting is to provide a platform for interaction between the government and the providers and consumers of shipping, ports and transport services to discuss issues that have.

    “The meeting is very significant to the activities of the Council as it is expected to promote dialogue and facilitate discussions on various aspects of ports operation sand governance, which would reveal stakeholders views on port service quality and efficiency as well as serve as a scorecard for council’s performance at addressing the concerns of stakeholders in port operations”.

    On his part, the director Consumer affairs department represented by the deputy director Bilateral and multilateral trade, Mr Moses Oyebola lamented that the chaotic state of the ports has made them unfriendly and unattractive for business compared to other ports in the sub-region.

    Towards this end, he said, the ultimate goal of the council is to ensure that it collectively sanitise the Nigerian ports.

     “We must therefore collaborate and cooperate as stakeholders to remedy the anomalies in our Port Industry to enable it contribute maximally to the growth of our nation’s economy.”

    In their separate speeches, President Kaduna state shippers association, Mohammed Abdulsalam and the representative of the standard organization of Nigeria, Mr Danlami Emmanuel Datti described the stakeholders meeting as a way of collaboration, promoting dialogue and discuss issues that affect the shipping services in the country.

  • Trade facilitation excites importers, clearing agents

    Trade facilitation excites importers, clearing agents

    As the Yuletide approaches, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa command, has embarked on programmes to facilitate trade at the country’s biggest port, and the importers and clearing agents are happy for it, The Nation has learnt.

    Its Area Controller, Mr Charles Edike, it was gathered, had adopted the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government by fast-tracking cargo clearance procedures and implementing  Customs policies on quick cargo clearance to the fullest to generate more revenue and boost the  economy.

    The effective manner the Comptroller-General of Customs Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi has directed his officers to implement his six-point agenda, it was learnt, was responsible for the success the service had recorded in Apapa and other notable commands in terms of the modernisation and transformation of Customs’ operations, a development, which importers and other operators said, had contributed to the quick clearance of cargoes from the Apapa port.

    The Area Controller, Apapa command, stakeholders said, had no option than to embark on trade facilitation because he had received the needed support of his Comptroller-General to organise and manage the highest revenue yielding command in the country, cum the West and Central Africa sub-region.

    His zeal and patriotism for the development of  the economy, findings revealed, was responsible for why he was moved to Apapa command to carry out the onerous task which, stakeholders said, he had  done diligently.

    The President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said Edike does not joke with trade facilitation of the Federal Government.

    “No paper stays on Edike’s table for more than 15 minutes before he releases them for quick cargo clearance.This is also because he has made the principle his watch word since his assumption of office as the Controller in Apapa Area Command and in all the commands he has been posted.

    “He believes that when any document experiences delay, the implications can be more. Thus, as far as he is concerned, prompt treatment of documents is a must in his command. According to him, the documents represent money and the government needs the money to develop the country and provide jobs for the youths,“ he said.

    Shittu also described Edike as a humble and listening Senior Customs officer who attend to every issue brought to his attention to attract business to the port.

    “With the support of Alhaji Dikko, Edike was been able to reactivate the erstwhile dormant Container Terminal in Ijora, through constant and consistent stemming of containers to the terminal, a development that has not only kept the inland terminal alive up  till today, but has also assisted in giving a lease of livelihood to importers and those of us in the cargo clearance business.

    Also, a senior officer of the command, who does not want his name in print, said the Area Controller had inculcated his trade facilitation message in his officers and tutored them on why they must delay documents to avoid sanctions.

    “Edike has tutored us that when you delay import documents, you increase the cost of clearing such goods, because you make the importers to accumulate demurrage and you delay the purpose for which such goods would have been put to used for the proper development of  the economy.

    “It is through his rare determination to block revenue loopholes and ability to combat corruption following the instruction given by the CGC that has made it possible for our command to collect an unprecedented N30,499,921,212  in September and N31,567,536,965 in October, this year. The figure is far more than the amount the command generated in the same period last year,” the officer said.

    Also, the Chairman of the Lillypond Container Terminal chapter of ANLCA, Prince Chuks Njemanze, said he was impressed with the performance of Edike on  trade facilitation and stemming of containers to Lillypond terminal.

    As part of efforts to solve the problem of server and network failure frequently encountered by importers and clearing agents at the ports, the Customs, he said, had inaugurated a newly built 160-meter communication tower for trade facilitation and launched a world-class Information Communication Training (ICT) centre at the Apapa command to boost the efficiency of its officers and men.

    Addressing reporters on behalf of other stakeholders in Lagos, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of ANLCA, Mr Olumide Fakanlu,  said they were happy with the way the Area Controller was handling the Fast-Track Scheme (FTS) introduced by Customs to boost cargo clearance procedure at the ports.

    If not for the way the scheme was being handled, Fakanlu said, “the situation at Apapa port would have worsened because the terminal operator cannot handle more than 200 containers per day. “

    Fakanlu also berated the unnecessary additional storage charges the importers and their clearing pay terminal operators.