Nigerian government disbands Customs Service Task Force

Dr Ngozi Okonjo –Iweala

Nigerian government disbands Customs Service Task Force
Hauwa Noroh Ali, Abuja

The Nigerian government has disbanded the Nigeria Customs Service Task Force.

Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this on Friday in Abuja , at the 17th National Economic Summit, which got underway on Thursday.

The Task Force was recently criticized for hindering timely clearance of goods at the ports.

A private agency is to be commissioned next week, to monitor activities at the ports, with a view to ensuring the clearance of goods within 24 hours. Under the supervision of the Task Force, it takes four weeks to clear goods at the ports.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala described this as embarrassing and stated: ``we are disbanding the Customs Tax Force that many private sector people said used to harass them. It’s already been disbanded.”

“Let me tell you, next week or so, you will see announced-with the permission of Mr. President-a private sector group to independently monitor that these actions are taking place.” She added.

Assuring stakeholders of government’s commitment to creating the environment conducive to business, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said the new group will include all stakeholders in the Nigerian ports.

New Strategies

Strategies have also been put in place to abolish the use of forms to clear goods, through a container management system that will reduce the number of containers in the ports.

The measure is intended to assuage concerns that clearance of goods was being intentionally delayed to force importers to pay demurrage.

Short-to-long term targets

Last month, the Economic Management Team had visited the Apapa Port in Lagos , where it announced that far-reaching measures were being taken to make the ports more efficient and cost effective. One of the targets set was to ensure that consignments were taken out of the ports in less than one week, rather than the three to four weeks that prevailed at the time.

In the short to long-term, the Economic Management Team recommended a reduction in the number of government agencies in the ports from 14 to 6.

Agencies approved to operate in the ports include: the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ports Health, Immigration, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and on a roving duty basis-the State Security Service (SSS). All the other agencies were directed to keep away from the ports except otherwise invited by the Customs Service.

The directive also required that all port users, including the customs and all relevant government agencies, should commence 24 hours, seven days a week shift duty.

Meanwhile, the NPA was mandated to regulate concessionaries, especially in the areas of charges and equipment availability, until a commercial regulator is named for the port. A Ports and Harbours Bill is already being considered at the National Assembly to facilitate the measure.

In addition, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of access roads to the ports roads are to begin fully, as soon as the rains subside.

Edited by Hajia Sani