The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has expressed optimism that the implementation of Time Realise Study (TRS) will end delays in cargo clearance and achieve a 24-hour port operation.
Adeniyi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
He said the TRS is aimed at improving port efficiency and competitiveness by identifying and eliminating obstacles in port operations.
Adewale said it was imperative to understand the causes of delay in cargo clearing, pinpoint areas of delay, analyse the reasons behind them and implement effective solutions to streamline the process.
“We cannot reduce time of clearing cargo if we do not know what is cursing it, and where it’s been delayed.
“First, we have to identify the cost, the areas where there are delays, understand the curse and then apply the right solutions to them.
“It will be my pleasure to clear cargoes from our ports in one day. We were doing it for two days before, so why can’t we do it for one day. That is what the TRS exercise is all about,” Adeniyi said.
He noted that the TRS report is expected to be released within six months once all the systems are automated and integrated for effective operations.
The customs boss assured the public that the findings of the TRS would be made available to government and stakeholders within the specified timeline.
He emphasised the readiness of the customs management to propose necessary legal amendments to address any delays caused by existing laws.
Adeniyi said that NCS invited three ministers: Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy during the launching of TRS, to enable them address delay in cargo clearance.
“The purpose of consulting the three ministers and all the stakeholders, including banks, is to address all the bottle necks hindering cargo clearance,” he said
