The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Webb Fontaine

  • Webb Fontaine stresses PCS for seamless port operations

    Webb Fontaine stresses PCS for seamless port operations

    As Nigeria pushes towards more efficient and sustainable port operations, Webb Fontaine Nigeria has underscored the importance of the Port Community System (PCS) in facilitating seamless 24-hour functionality.

    The company’s Operations Director, Vlad Ionescu, emphasised the need for collaboration between government and private sector players to ensure smoother port operations, during the the fifth edition of the JournalNG Port Industry Town Hall Meeting in Lagos.

    “The Port Community System is a platform that brings together all the actors working inside the ports. Essentially, it provides a single point of entry for all necessary documents, which are then dispatched to the relevant agencies,” Ionescu explained.

    Ionescu highlighted the company’s role in leveraging technology to challenge traditional practices and enhance trade facilitation globally. He noted the company’s approach to innovation is already helping countries rethink their trade processes, contributing to greater efficiency and ease of doing business.

    The trade facilitation solutions provider’s Installation Manager, Lanre Balogun, further elaborated on the system’s contributions, saying that PCS has been crucial in ensuring smooth data exchanges between port authorities, customs, and terminal operators.

    Read Also: Revisiting Adamolekun’s Reflections on Governance

    “All port processes under the Webb Ports regime enjoy rapid processing, from electronic manifest declarations to electronic payment of duties and fees. The system also optimises logistics, reduces physical contact, and cuts down the cost of doing business,” he noted.

    Balogun highlighted the key benefits of PCS, including a completely paperless process, faster cargo transit times, enhanced transparency, and traceability of operations, which collectively streamline port activities and improve efficiency.

    Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, also weighed in on the conversation at the recently inaugurated Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee’s event. He revealed that the Authority is working closely with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy PCS as a foundational element of the National Single Window (NSW).

    “The Port Community System is a precursor to the National Single Window,” Dantsoho said, stressing that PCS would significantly reduce paperwork, improve transparency, and enhance overall revenue generation by eliminating inefficiencies in the system.

    “The Port Community System cannot succeed unless all stakeholders come together. By reducing paper transactions, we will save money, increase capacity, and boost revenue,” Dantsoho concluded.

    As the PCS continues to gain momentum, it is set to play a pivotal role in transforming the nation’s port ecosystem into a globally competitive, round-the-clock operation, fostering growth and efficiency across the maritime sector.

  • Webb Fontaine, Starlink to boost port efficiency

    Webb Fontaine, Starlink to boost port efficiency

    Nigeria’s port system is set to become more efficient following a partnership being fostered between Webb Fontaine Nigeria Limited and Starlink, a technology firm owned by Elon Musk. The partnership is aimed at deploying faster and reliable internet connectivity for better port operations.

    This was disclosed by the Managing Director of Webb Fontaine Nigeria Limited, Ope Babalola at a stakeholders’ forum on Port Community System (PCS) in Lagos at the weekend. When consummated, the deal will deliver a better experience for port users, especially in the interaction with the server of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    While delivering a paper on the Port Community System (PCS), Babalola hailed President Bola Tinubu’s initiative to establish a National Single Window (NSW) as a laudable step that will benefit the country in many ways, noting that the PCS can run under the single window conveniently targeting port users primarily  with a view to achieving better inclusion of all stakeholders in the environment.

    He, therefore, called on stakeholders to support the PCS initiative in furtherance to boost port operations, even as he harped on regular initiatives that will aid trade facilitation and seamless cargo clearance.

    While soliciting for balance of trade, the Webb Fortaine boss affirmed that exporters should be encouraged to facilitate trade through seamless operations for cargo movement.

    Read Also: Customs, Webb Fontaine assure of service delivery

    “Nigeria has so much trade data but we are not using it. Therefore, there should be seamless collaboration between NPA and customs to promote the Port Community System PCS. This town hall meeting should be regulated to create more awareness about what it’s all about,” Babalola said.

    Webb Fontaine, he further explained, has been contributing its quota to better port efficiency in the country and through this, helping to increase revenue to government. For instance, he revealed that the firm, in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has in the last four years, attained the trillion naira revenue collection back to back, and now targets collecting not less than N6 trillion in 2024. This singular feat earned the company an excellence award for its contribution to the nation’s economy for supporting trade to increase revenue collection by the Nigeria Customs Service.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the event, Lucky Amiwero, called on the service provider Webb Fortaine, to up the ante on its server for effective and smooth cargo clearance.

    Amiwero, who is the President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents ( NCMDLCA) appealed to management of the NCS to capitalise on training and retraining of officers on cargo clearance procedures and clearance.

    He also stressed the need for both the customs and Nigerian Ports Authority NPA (NPA) to collaborate as part of measures to promote seamless trade.