The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has called on Nigerians to embrace the recently Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved e-Customs project as it will revolutionise trade facilitation, improve national security, save business time in transactions and generate revenue.
The Service said the project is also aimed at achieving end-to-end automation of customs processes in Nigeria. Recall that in the past two weeks, the media has been awash of controversies trailing the Customs concession agreement, called the e- Customs project, which is premised on a concession agreement of 20 years , under Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model said to cost $3.1billion. The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller, Joseph Attah said contrary to the speculations that the project is ceding the responsibilities of the Service to private contractor, it will improve the activities of the Service in the area of revenue generation, anti-smuggling and national security.
He said unknown to many, the recently approved e-Customs deal by the Federal Government is one unsung trade masterstroke of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration with capacity to engender efficiency, transparency and productivity in line with global best practices. On how Nigeria will benefit from the project, Attah said, the deal from all indications synchronises with the Federal Government’s drive for ease of doing business and trade facilitation, as it tends to directly address government, private sector and International community concerns.
– The Guardian