Trade: Three urgent tasks before Nigeria Customs Service- STOAN
The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) has tasked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on need to re-evaluate its processes, to incorporate full automation.
Spokesman of STOAN, Mr. Bolaji Akinola, in an interview on ‘Maritime Reality Check”, said the manual processes deployed by the NCS in container examination remained a task to be addressed.
Speaking on the way out, Akinola said “Customs should deploy functional and modern scanners immediately across the nation’s ports, because right now, they do physical examination of containers.
“On the average they spend an hour on a container, but if it is done through technology, it would take two minutes.
“Customs should publish their tariffs on their portals, what shippers need to pay, and it should make it possible for consignees to process their duties online without necessarily visiting the port.”
Akinola had earlier spoken about terminal operators’ investment in people, technology and infrastructure to ensure real time delivery in their services.
“Terminal operators are investing more in people, more in technology and more in equipment. And that is why the ports are still running non-stop even during the lockdown, because we have not stopped investing in people.
