A former Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); Dr. Sola Afolabi, has fingered ineffective communication as one reasons the single window platform maybe difficult to be implemented in Nigerian ports.
Afolabi made this disclosure recently in a chat with Shipping Position Daily, where he added that the terminology means different things to different people.
He reiterated the need for all government agencies and port operations to be fully computerized for the nation to be able to enjoy the full benefits of the single window platform.
"It means different things to different people, you can't have single window without effective communication"
"You can't have a single window without the operators and government agencies being fully computerized"
"So when you don't have all these and you are making a pronouncement of single window, it sounds somehow"
Afolabi however lauded the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for the effort towards bringing all the relevant government agencies on board on the platform.
"In the customs new system, they are trying to bring as many government agencies as possible on board; to say that you can sit in your office and do all your clearing businesses there and receive your goods without moving just on one platform", he added.
On the issue of trade facilitation, Afolabi charged the government on the need to put the necessary infrastructure in place.
He said that when the needed infrastructures are in place more revenues will be generated.
"On the issue of trade facilitation and revenue generation, trade facilitation is what makes the trade move"
Explaining further, he said, "for example if you spend money to repair the roads you can imagine the number of trade it will bring to that area (sea ports). Many people are even discouraged to come and do businesses there, but once the roads are good, more people will come to do businesses there".
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