Customs say Port Harcourt ports bounce back in containerised cargo imports

Customs public relations officer (CPRO) in charge of the customs Area 1 Command, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Harry Samuel, claims that Eastern-based importers may now heave a sigh of relief as the Eastern Premier Area 1 general cargo port is now picking up in containerised cargo imports.

The CPRO told BusinessDay last week in Onne, near Port Harcourt, that this was due to the response by some eastern-based importers who had hitherto abandoned the eastern ports to operate in the Lagos ports.

According to Samuel, it was the combined efforts of the port concessionaires (private terminal operators), which include PTOL and BUA Nigeria limited, and the Customs command, that wooed back containerized importers and seminars in Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi along with the customs command as observers.

Samuel explained that the Customs appearance along with the terminal operators in the various seminars was to instil confidence in the mind of importers and to allay their fears of any unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks or arms twisting while clearing their containers through the port, stressing that, paying correct duties and following other correct import procedures were all that the command required of them.

The CPRO confirmed that in the last two months, about 14 containers were received and cleared within 24 hours after due process of 100 percent examination by the Customs officers along with other federal government agencies like the Standard Organization of Nigeria [SON], Quarantine, NDLEA and the department of the State Security Service (JSSS), among others.

In the past years, the customs Area 1 Command had been contending with its inability to meet its annual revenue targets due to series of federal import polices ranging from ban on some high revenue-generating goods like rice, BusinessDay gathered from stakeholders.

The port suffered a long lull in containerized import business over the years since some big-time container vessels or shipping lines like Maersk Line relocated from the port to the Onne model port and Lagos ports.

Consequently, most big time Eastern based importers also shifted to Onne and Lagos ports even as they contend with high cost of clearing and logistics of getting their goods to the eastern markets leaving the Port-Harcourt port dealing with bulk cargos like frozen fish, wheat, salt that come but not regularly.

The PRO said the port has not experienced over-time cargo, more so that importers using it comply strictly with import procedures mindful of seizures as a result of under-declaration, concealment of contra-bands and any other form of import offences.

The image-maker, who agreed with the federal government import policies said in the case of policy import of rice, the idea is to encourage local mass production, which would also create massive job opportunities for Nigerians, but prayed for government flexibility on its policies to enhance high revenue generation by the customs service.

He encouraged the Eastern based importers who left the Eastern premier port to return, promising that the customs command under Area controller, comptroller, Tajudeen Olanrewaju, whom he described as accessible, diligent and focused, is poised to deal with any bottle-neck against their clearing business.