Customs Controller of Apapa Command, Musa Jibrin at the weekend, revealed that the service has begun testing its newly-devised automation system of cargo clearance known as Nigeria Customs Integrated System (NICIS) 2 at seaports across Lagos State.
The controller said this when the National and Chapter Executives of the International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA) paid a working visit to the command.
The IFFA delegation was led by its National President, Dr. Sam Chidinma Onyemelukwe.
Speaking at the meeting, Jibrin stated that the pilot scheme of the NICIS 2 has already been kick-started at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal in Lagos and that it has simplified the process of cargo delivery at the port.
According to him, customs has migrated from NICIS 1 where only five declarations could be made in one hour to a more advanced NICIS 2 where agents can now make 18 declarations within an hour.
Jibrin assured that the pilot scheme would soon move from KLT terminal to Tin Can Port, and that by November 2017, the pilot scheme would be rounded off at the Apapa Command.
He said that when the process is completed, customs operations would be automated and there would be speedy clearance of consignment. There would be improvement and compliance to regulation of government fiscal and monetary policy, adding that this would also lead to increased revenue generation.
The Customs boss however charged the visiting IFFA members on the need to improve on their level of compliance to customs regulations, discipline, self respect and patriotism in order to move the industry forward.
“The business of freight forwarding has rules and customs has laws that must be complied with by anyone coming into Nigeria to operate. They should be ready to obey the rules and regulations governing operations in the blue economy.”
Those who were trained gave a testimony that in the past, five declarations were made under Asycuda in one hour, but under NCIS 2 they were able to do 18 within an hour, most of the challenges we recorded during Asycuda have been eliminated.
“For vehicles, all we need are the chasis number, the bill laden number. Everything is automatically downloaded into your declarations, so it takes very little time to make declarations under NICIS 2.
“There are lots of challenges encountered by agents during seeking clearance and release from other control agencies like NAFDAC, SON, NDLEA and so on. In NCIS 2 they have been activated, in NCIS 1, they only view what is going on but they cannot communicate. Under NICIS 2 they have the power to communicate and they can release without agents following them to their various offices.
“The pilot scheme is taking about just a month in KLT, from there it would go to Tin Can, Apapa command would be used to round off the piloting exercise in November, we assure you that before the year runs out, NCIS 2 would be fully operational,” he said.
Earlier, National President of IFFA, Dr. Sam Chidinma Onyemelukwe highlighted operational challenges that freight forwarders are confronted with in the cargo clearance process.
He said that the Pre-Arrival Assessment (PAAR) regime of the customs has not functioned effectively as the PAAR issuance is always delayed, thereby leading to huge losses for importers.
The IFFA President used the opportunity to introduce to the Controller, the new executives of Apapa Chapter of IFFA headed by Chief Osita Patrick Chukwu.