The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has given his assurance that the Time Release Study implementation would remove delays in cargo clearance and allow for 24-hour port operations.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, these statements were made by Adeniyi on Monday in a Lagos interview.
He underlined that by locating and removing roadblocks in port operations, the TRS seeks to improve port efficiency and competitiveness.
Adeniyi emphasized how crucial it is to comprehend the underlying causes of cargo clearance delays, pinpoint the regions causing the delays, examine the underlying causes, and put workable remedies in place to expedite the procedure.
“If we don’t know what is causing the cargo to be delayed and where it is, we won’t be able to shorten the time it takes to clear. Prior to applying the appropriate remedies, we must first determine the costs, the locations of delays, and the cause.
“It will give me great satisfaction to unload cargo from our ports in a single day. Why can’t we do it for a single day as we were doing it for two days prior? That’s the main goal of the TRS exercise.”
The Chief of Customs reaffirmed that after all systems are automated and integrated for optimal performance, the TRS report would be released in six months.
The public was informed by Adeniyi that the government and stakeholders will receive access to the TRS findings as per their agreement. He emphasized that the customs management is ready to recommend any required legislative changes to lessen the delays brought on by existing legislation.
Adeniyi stated that in order to alleviate cargo clearance delays at the TRS launch, the NCS has invited the three ministers of Finance, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Marine and Blue Economy.
The World Customs Organization -Assisted Time Release Study was initiated by the Nigeria Customs Service on Thursday with the goal of streamlining the clearing process of goods from arrival to physical clearance.
Up to this most recent attempt, the Nigeria Customs Service had been unsuccessful in implementing the Time Release Study for ports and borders, despite efforts in 2010 and 2018.
In order to assist the execution of the Time Release Study countrywide, NCS Director, Wale Adeniyi highlighted the development of a Customs laboratory, the Advanced Ruling program, and the implementation of the AEO program during the TRS inauguration.
World Customs Organization official Stephen Muller asked the NCS to report and publish TRS operations within six months for assessment reasons. Muller was present at the unveiling.
