NSC moves to achieve efficient service delivery, timely cargo clearance

As part of its effort to ensure timely cargo clearance at the nation’s seaports, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has been holding meetings with service providers including terminal operators and shipping companies on ways to introduce equipment and appropriate technology that will facilitate quick clearance of cargo at the terminals.

Hassan Bello, executive secretary of Shippers’ Council, who acknowledged that there has been a remarkable improvement on the services rendered to port users by service providers and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in reducing the time it take importers and their agents to clear goods at the ports.

According to him, quick clearance of goods at the port would bring multiplier effects on the nation’s economy, and also accrue benefits to both providers and consumers of shipping services.

The Council as the economic regulator, Bello said was very much concerned about the dwell time of cargo in the ports and does not want a situation where goods stay so much in the port before being cleared.

Speaking recently in a forum over the weekend, the Shippers’ Council boss noted that there has been cooperation between the Council and providers of shipping services at the port. “We are concerned about the dwell time of cargo. We don’t want cargo to stay very long in the port because the port is not a place of storage. We encourage terminal operators to take cargo away from the port for examination. We also commend Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) for introducing e-commerce, which means that payment which used to take five days is now done in few minutes”, he said.

Bello pointed out that there has also been a remarkable improvement in ports efficiency. “For instance, importers who do not have query on their declarations after lodgement of entries could clear their goods within three days as against 21 days before.”

In terms of turnaround time of ship, the NSC boss said, the Council does not want ships bringing goods into the country to be delayed before leaving the ports. “The turnaround time of vessels calling at the ports has improved from 21 days to 3-4 days. This has been possible through the introduction of technology in the system.”

On the benefit, Bello stated that this type of development would impact positively on the imports and the general economy as it would attract more patronage for the nation’s seaport.

“If you look at turnaround time for ships, it used to be 21 days but now it takes 3-4 days for ships to discharge their cargo. This is because appropriate technology has been introduced at the terminal. We audited these terminals and supervised them, and we advised them on the things to be done in other to make Nigerian ports user friendly and some of them are complying”, he said.

He said that at all time, the target of the Council would be to ensure that Nigerian ports achieve the efficiency level that is comparable to any international standard.

UZOAMAKA ANAGOR-Ewuzie