The Chairman, Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), Fwdr. Hakeem Olarenwaju has urged the Customs Area Controller of Tin-Can Island Customs Command (TCIP), Comptroller Dera Nnadi to eradicate noticeable red tapes impeding cargo clearance within the command supply chain.
Speaking in a statement issued late on Monday, the CCC Chairman in the company of the committee secretary, Fwdr. Eugene Nweke drew the attention of Comptroller Nnadi to the wider negative impact of the unstable foreign exchange regime on trade generally and used the opportunity to enlighten the Comptroller on the workings of the CCC while soliciting broader areas of strategic consultations in order to redefine operational bottlenecks in the ports.
“Red tapes in this context refers to both technical and human barrier elements, impeding the fluidity of cargo clearance processes within the Customs ports.
“In specific, technical and human barriers elements include; server breakdown, challenges with cargo scanning operations, lack of a centralised system alerting on suspicious cargoes, as was agreed during the stakeholders meeting held at the recent CGC’s conference in 2023; and the need to fast track the evolution of the Single Window project, aimed at reducing the pace of human contacts to cargo and its associated delays,” the CCC leadership explained to the Tin-Can Customs Controller.
In his response, the visiting Comptroller reiterated that his courtesy visit is informed by his belief that responsible partnerships and collaborations are incomplete without strategic mobilization and alliances, hence his visit to the CCC.
Insisting that the annual revenue target of the Customs requires deliberate cooperation and the support of stakeholders, especially the trading public, he called for the support of CCC in achieving this for Tin-Can Island Customs Command.
He commended the CCC for their support to TCIP Command in 2023 while informing that, the management of the Command is committed to the implementation of the key resolutions reached at the recent stakeholders meeting held during the Comptroller General of Customs conference 2023. He insisted that the management would not leave any stone unturned in pursuance of its trade compliance and facilitation quest.
To this extent, he called on the trading public to shore up compliance in their trade transactions and requisite trade-related applications via prompt documentation and honest declaration.
He noted that going forward, compliant traders will be rewarded with prompt service delivery, while sanctions on trade irregularities and breaches will be meted to the defaulting trading public (importer/exporter and their representative) as provided in the new Nigeria Customs Act 2023.
He said equally that officers caught in the line of duty other than spotting and tackling trade infractions will also be punished accordingly to achieve holistic and meaningful compliance.
On the allegation that the Service increased the benchmark for the surface payable Customs duty, Comptroller Dera Nnadi reiterated that at no time did the Service set nor increase any benchmark other than the reality of the foreign exchange rate regime, insisting that, once the exchange rate drops, the payable surface Customs duty will as well drop.
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