Customs initiate automated clearance of overtime cargoes to decongest ports

By Godwin Oritse

In a renewed effort to tackle congestion astatine the nation’s seaports, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deployed an automated strategy for the clearance of overtime cargoes. 

The inaugural is expected to accelerate the evacuation of long-stalled consignments and make much country for caller imports.

Speaking astatine a sensitisation forum successful Lagos connected the caller system, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, explained that the automation would destruct delays associated with manual processes portion enhancing ratio and transparency successful larboard operations. 

Adeniyi noted that overtime cargoes not lone lend to larboard congestion but besides inhabit invaluable abstraction meant for caller shipments, creating a ripple effect of delays crossed the logistics and clearance chain.

He explained that erstwhile cargoes stay uncleared beyond the archetypal 30 days, they are automatically transferred to the bureau of the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs for approval, adding that aft 3 months and the cargo remains uncleared, it volition automatically determination to the Headquarters for condemnation. 

After 120 days, immoderate uncleared cargo volition beryllium transferred to the disposal stage, pursuing the completion of the required ineligible process.

The Customs brag emphasized that the digitalization of overtime cargo clearance is not chiefly aimed astatine generating revenue, but astatine establishing a much businesslike strategy for handling specified consignments portion freeing up abstraction wrong the ports.

Regarding valuation astatine the constituent of disposal, the Customs Service explained that depreciation and the information of the goods would beryllium factored successful earlier assigning a last worth to the consignments.

Adeniyi disclosed that helium has been inundated with messages connected the contented of overtime cargoes adding that the automation of the strategy volition further woody with questions and enquiry connected this class of cargoes.

He said:”More than 50% of letters, emails, complaints that I person and I woody with connected a regular ground person to bash with  implicit time. And they travel successful antithetic forms. And sometimes we negociate to benignant retired this wrong our interior processes.

The station Customs initiate automated clearance of overtime cargoes to decongest ports appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.