WASHINGTON: To promote trade, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS) are collaborating to introduce the much-awaited Single Window (SW) platform at the ports. A statement made available on Friday in Lagos by the General Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Chief Michael Ajayi, said the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Usman, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col Hameed Ali in Abuja. Usman said the two agencies had embarked on the establishment of a Single Window through an intense automation and introduction of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at ports. She said the adoption of a Single Window would make Nigerian ports competitive in the international trade network and boost the trade facilitation programme of the government.
The managing director said the synergy on Single Window would boost government’s revenue and promote Public Private Participation (PPP) through the attraction of local and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). She also said that government was aware of its responsibilities to create the enabling business environment to realise its objectives. Usman said the Federal Government was determined to make the ports efficient, safe, secured, productive and Eco-friendly practices of its operations; be it logistic or financial base. She said NPA and Customs were the two arrow head agencies driving the logistic and financial portals on behalf of the government. “The duo have the responsibility to synergise and build a common industry culture around the ports toward achieving the right level in trade facilitation. “The goal of trade facilitation is to help trade across borders, make imports and exports faster, cheaper and more predictable, while ensuring its safety and security. “Trade facilitation focuses on simplifying and harmonising formalities, procedures and the related exchange of information and documents between the various partners in a supply chain.
“Transparency, simplification, harmonisation and standardisation of port operations, can only be achieved by embarking on the establishment of a well-articulated Single Window system. “I would, therefore, urge us not to lose track as well as put in relentless commitment to meet the target of Nigeria joining 20 other countries to be in the forefront of implementing an efficient, effective and sustainable Single Window in 2020,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Usman as saying.. The comptroller-general said the visit of NPA’s managing director would lead to regular meetings and constant consultation between the two agencies. “The Nigeria Customs Service would do everything possible in promoting trade facilitation programme of the government through collaboration with sister agencies and robust initiatives to promote business at ports,’’ Ali said. The comptroller-general also promised to collaborate with the NPA to rejuvenate port operations and port security committees and ensure that “the meetings are attended by senior officials of all the affected agencies and take responsibilities’’.
