The Nigerian Customs Service said the automation of the overtime cargo clearance system it introduced will address the challenges of manual paperwork, abandoned cargo, and clearance process at the Onne Port in Rivers State.
Also, the NCS said the automation system checks bottlenecks, boosts trade facilitations, and other economic activities at the Port.
The Zonal Coordinator, Zone C, of the Nigeria Customs Services, ACG Kamal Mohammed, stated this during a one-day sensitisation exercise on the automation of overtime cargo clearance system for consignees, customs brokers, terminal operators, and Customs officers held in Onne, Rivers State, on Wednesday.
Mohammed, who spoke through Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt Area 2, Onne, described the new platform as a seamless process that facilitates economic activities at the port without physical presence.
He explained that the platform affords port shareholders the opportunity to sit in their comfort zone and facilitate all the trade processes at the port.
ACG Mohammed further said the initiative marks a new beginning to address the challenges of congestion, manual paperwork, and other obstacles encountered during trade facilitations at the port.
He noted, "This initiative marks a turning point in our challenges, yes, the challenges of congestion, manual paper works, bottlenecks, abandoned cargo, and clearance processes, trade facilitations, and economic activities.
" Today, with the automated overtime cargo and disposal system awareness, we have demonstrated that customs can be bold facilitator of trade and a guarantor of integrity.
"The important question is, what does this new system entail?. Number one is transparency; every action in this process stands because of the simplicity of the process.
"Stakeholders can now apply, track, and receive approval online without unnecessary physical contact. There is going to be accountability in the process; the officers and stakeholders alike are bound by the new rule.
"There is going to be efficiency in the system. Cargos can move smoothly, and litigation will be reduced. "
"All documents from the application to the records are fully documented and automated. Most importantly, this reform is backed by the Nigeria Customs Service Act, which provides the legal framework.
"For stakeholders in the sea, whether you are in Bonny, Calabar, Port Harcourt, or any other place, this is an opportunity to embrace the chain.
"The new platforms allow you to manage your consignment from your offices, through your mobile phones. It removes the burden of endless letters, limits waiting time," Mohammed said.
He called on all stakeholders in the maritime industry to familiarise themselves with the process and informed their teams to use the E-Platform effectively and engage with Customs officers constructively so that every issue will be resolved swiftly.
Onne Port is now one of the busiest in the country after Lagos, with increasing receipt of imported cargoes, which has also led to increased revenue.
However, in the last two years, issues of imported sophisticated firearms and contraband goods have been reported in the ports, with a myriad of seizures made by the NCS in Onne.