The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said last week that it had adopted new Information Communication Technology (ICT) software, as it prepares to take over destination inspection from service providers.
Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr Wale Adeniyi, told newsmen that taking over destination inspection would ensure greater service delivery to customers.
He said that destination inspection, as a procedure would enforce synergy between the service and other government agencies to guarantee fast release of goods at the ports.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said last week that it had adopted new Information Communication Technology (ICT) software, as it prepares to take over destination inspection from service providers.
Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr Wale Adeniyi, told newsmen that taking over destination inspection would ensure greater service delivery to customers.
He said that destination inspection, as a procedure would enforce synergy between the service and other government agencies to guarantee fast release of goods at the ports.
Adeniyi explained that currently the NCS was using Risk Assessment Report (RAR) to clear goods at the port.
According to him, the report is a document that guides the NCS on the level of intervention in the clearance of goods.
Adeniyi said that customs had also developed a new software called Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).
He said the software would replace Risk Assessment Report (RAR) as it takes over the destination inspection from service providers in July 2013.
He further said that the software had a risk management system to be shared by relevant government agencies for better services to Nigeria.
Adeniyi said that the software had a number of advantages over the current method due to its features that made it better.
According to him, the software has an integrated risk management platform that will be shared by the regulatory agencies, including NCS, NAFDAC, NESREA, Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS) and SON.
Adeniyi said that the software also had a web-based system that utilised recent technologies to ensure faster and accurate service.
He said that the application had both online and offline features for contingency planning and a dynamic environment, where outcome of the reports were continuously fed back into the system for efficient profiling of emerging risks.
“Presently it takes service providers about five working days to produce the current method but under the planned software, it will take just about six hours.
“One of the greatest advantage it has over current practice is that it has a two way communication feature, its highly interactive because it has an SMS notification within.
“So that at any point in time in the processing of the software, the importer can be notified by SMS of what is happening.’’
Adeniyi said that the application used FIRS Tax Identifier Number (TIN) that would help the service to guide against unwanted access, “providing a standard format for classification of goods.’’
He said that the application allowed custom to grant incentives to traders that were compliant.
He also said that it had a trade information platform for anyone who wished to do import or export business in Nigeria.
Adeniyi, however, said that presently the greatest problem of NCS was the problem of compliance management, adding that the software would help the service to promote honesty, diligence in declaration of goods.
“We believe that it will help revenue generation, the quicker the service provided in importation of business, the more revenue that will be collected by customs.
“Now we are using ICT application to bring all the agencies together to have a shared risk management platform, so the software is going to reduce time and cost of doing business.’’
Adeniyi said that the software represented a positive development in the business, adding that the use of ICT would help customs get better service.
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