Lack of e-Customs and ports modernisation will cost $176.2 billion in 20 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Up to $8.81 billion is being lost yearly by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) because of the non-implementation of e-Customs designed to streamline and modernise its operations at the ports.
House of Representatives Customs and Excise Committee Chairman Leke Abejide made the point at the public hearing of the Joint Committees on Customs and Excise, Finance and Banking and Currency in Abuja.
Abejide said the project is expected to automate Customs operations, prevent revenue leakages, and generate $176.2 billion during its 20 years’ concession period.
Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed explained that pending court cases are delaying the implementation of the project.
“The suits are three and as such the project could not continue, the pending cases are impeding the commencement of the e-Customs project,” said Zainab, represented by her Home Finance Director Stephen Okon.
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Speed up arbitration
To facilitate the take-off of the project, she added, the ministry is partnering with the Office of the federal Attorney General to speed up arbitration, according to Nairametrics reporting.
“This can settle all the pending matters and allow the e-Customs project to start without further delay.”
NSC Comptroller General Hameed Ali, represented by Assistant Comptroller General (ICT) Galadima Saidu, said the contractor selected earlier, Adani Mega System, was stopped from executing the project and lawmakers are aware of it.
Port operators stage strike over CBN e-invoice
Agents and freight forwarders on 22 February withdrew their services and grounded operations at Tin-Can Island and Ports & Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML) in Lagos.
They are protesting against the implementation of e-evaluation and e-invoice introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and vowed to expand the strike to all Lagos ports if their demands are not met.
Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents PTML Chapter Assistant Secretary Sunny Ugorji said agents are not against the platform but the implementation process.
His words: “We only withdrew our services because of the e-valuation, there is no work; we have withdrawn our services until they correct the e-valuation system. We are not against e-valuation, what we are against is the implementation of the platform.
“The implementation is indicating that the Nigeria Customs Service has increased duties without informing us. I don’t see why when they say e-valuation, it simply means we are going to observe port operations with no much interface which is good.
“We have succeeded in withdrawing our services both at the PTML Command and Tin-Can. By tomorrow (Tuesday) we are going to Apapa. On Wednesday, we are going to KLT to make sure we all speak with one voice.”
