Namadi Sambo, vice president, noted today that the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports has become less compared to what used to obtain in the past. Delivering a message in Lagos to commemorate the 60th anniversary and inauguration of the permanent national secretariat of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Sambo also said the turnaround time of ships in Nigerian ports has notably improved, as ships now spend less time at ports situated across the country in Lagos, Calabar,Warri, Onne, Sapele and Port Harcourt.
Olugbenga Oyewole, senior special assistant to the President on Maritime Services, who delivered the message on behalf of the vice president noted that the of Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, had helped in reducing the time spent by ships while waiting to discharge cargoes. “The co-operation of customs and other government agencies led to the tremendous change in port operations. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that clearing agents will be moved out of the ports,” Oyewole said.
He added that out of N4 trillion expected to be generated from all government’s revenues in 2014, the NCS was saddled with the task of recovering N1.2 trillion. Giving his remarks at the programme Senator Idris Audu Umar, Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, commended the ANLCA for its laudable roles in the establishment of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN.
Also represented by Tahiru Bala, Senior Special Assistant on Marine Operations, Umar described the celebration of 60 years by the association as a landmark achievement noting how well the federal government recognises its contribution to revenue collection.
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