Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has assured port users of the authority’s renewed efforts to ensure swift evacuation of cargo from the nation’s seaports to the hinterlands and land locked neighbouring countries in 2019.
Usman also promised that her management is also determined to improve on port’s operational efficiency in the New Year and also enhance the accomplishments recorded in the year ending 2018.
According to the statement signed by Adams Jatto, general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of the NPA, Usman assured terminal operators and port users that it would further enable all players to surmount various bottlenecks with a view to providing a healthy and smooth environment for all stakeholders.
She recalled that with the Ease of Doing Business introduced by the Federal Government, the NPA has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing and others to reconstruct dilapidated roads within the ports axis for efficient services.
According to her, cargo owners needs to take advantage of the recent regime of incentives including the review of storage free days from three to 21 days, for next four months, as well as demurrage free period on the return of the empty containers from five free days to 15 days.
“Meanwhile, we assure all willing investors of a renewed determination towards attracting investments to the ports across the country through infrastructural development. There has been constant dredging of the channels to attain the expected draught level for incoming vessels at our ports. This is expected to lead an unprecedented revenue generation and with the expectation that this effort would further be surpassed in the New Year,” Usman said.
Usman, who said that her management would sustain and step up in the culture of efficiency and transparency, reiterated that it has put structures in place to drive this through the launch of the Revenue Income Management System (RIMS), which is a web based billing and revenue collection application fully automated for the entire billing circle of the NPA.
“NPA is partnering with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for the establishment of the Single Window platform aimed at simplifying and harmonising formalities, procedures and the related exchange of information which will be a major priority in 2019. This would not only ensure seamless operation in the port environments but will also reduce human contact in port business,” she further assured.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
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