Customs Agents Express Readiness for NSC’s 100% Automation at Ports
NSC Tower
By Francis Ugwoke
Freight forwarders said they are ready to embrace automation in the ports which is being championed by the Ports Economic Regulator, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) as part of the efforts to reduce physical contacts while clearing goods in the ports.
It is believed that physical contacts between customs agents and personnel of other agencies at the ports create room for delay and corruption.
The President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLA), Chief Emenike Nwokeoji said customs agents were fully prepared for automation.
Nwokeoji said that already, most agents, including his company can process documents for clearing of goods without physically being at the ports.
He told SHIPPING DAY “ We are very much prepared. Presently, as we speak, I can stay in the comfort of my office and do a submission to customs, generate duty assessment, make payment. I can only go to the port to examine the goods where necessary. I stay in my office, generate some terminal operators…., make payment, book for positioning of containers, without stepping out of my office.
“I can stay in my office, make payment, generate invoice, make payment to shipping companies, my staff can only go there because they need the hard copy for the Bill of lading. So, agents, I can tell you are 100 percent ready for automation”.
But he added that the issue being faced by customs agents were the issues from the importers in terms of their compliance in declaration.
“What is the level of their compliance in declaration. Because if your declaration is not what it should be, that is where the issue of ‘you should come and open this, let us look at it’. So, the totality of declarations will help in smooth running of our own operations”.
Freight forwarders said they are ready to embrace automation in the ports which is being championed by the Ports Economic Regulator, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) as part of the efforts to reduce physical contacts while clearing goods in the ports.
It is believed that physical contacts between customs agents and personnel of other agencies at the ports create room for delay and corruption.
The President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLA), Chief Emenike Nwokeoji said customs agents were fully prepared for automation.
Nwokeoji said that already, most agents, including his company can process documents for clearing of goods without physically being at the ports.
He told SHIPPING DAY “ We are very much prepared. Presently, as we speak, I can stay in the comfort of my office and do a submission to customs, generate duty assessment, make payment. I can only go to the port to examine the goods where necessary. I stay in my office, generate some terminal operators…., make payment, book for positioning of containers, without stepping out of my office.
“I can stay in my office, make payment, generate invoice, make payment to shipping companies, my staff can only go there because they need the hard copy for the Bill of lading. So, agents, I can tell you are 100 percent ready for automation”.
But he added that the issue being faced by customs agents were the issues from the importers in terms of their compliance in declaration.
“What is the level of their compliance in declaration. Because if your declaration is not what it should be, that is where the issue of ‘you should come and open this, let us look at it’. So, the totality of declarations will help in smooth running of our own operations”.
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
