Worried by the growing cost of doing business at Nigeria’s seaports, caused by bureaucratic bottleneck involved in cargo clearing, a committee known as the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has concluded plans to introduce a new cargo clearing procedure at the ports.
The new procedure, if implemented, would reduce the documentation process for export cargo from 10 to seven, while imports documentation would also reduce from 14 to eight.
According to the committee, this new procedure will improve the ease of doing business and reduce the cumbersome process experienced by shippers at the port during cargo clearance.
PEBEC is a committee constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2016, and chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to ensure a hitch-free entry and exit of goods in Nigeria.
Jumoke Oduwole, Secretary of PEBEC, said in Lagos on Thursday during the opening of a two day sensitisation workshop, that the decision became pertinent following the committee’s research that shows that it was currently impossible to import and export goods seamlessly at the ports.
According to Oduwole, the process had to be divided into short, medium and long term execution phases. “The new procedures and guidelines as established by the PEBEC, is geared towards making Nigerian ports to have competitive edge for trade with other neighbouring ports and across the world. It will also create more convenience for businesses to process their documentations effortlessly.”
“On the short term basis which the committee is currently in, a 60-day national action plan was initiated and will elapse on April 21. We started working with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), terminal operators and other critical stakeholders to identify the key problems as we have identified trading across borders as one of the most critical areas in need of reform.
“We have released some directives through the Ministry of Finance to the NCS on the number of documentation because we want to save cost and time for SMEs in particular and for people importing and exporting,” she added.
Anthony Ayalogu, a deputy controller said the Ease of Doing Business reform is to help improve Nigeria’s rankings in the World Bank Doing Business Index 2018. “Cargo release order, letter of credit, manufacturers’ certificate of production, payment receipt of customs fee and among others has been removed from documentation.”
“Used spare parts must be packed in cases and the case packed in pallets. The packing list of the containers must be itemised in order of arrangement in the containers. Vehicles imports should have the complete 17 digits vehicle identification number (VIN) inscribed on the bill of laden. All form M goods should have its number stated on the Bill of Laden while diplomatic goods should be indicated on Bill of Laden to save time,” he listed.
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