Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR

The Nigeria Customs Service has said that its decision to flag off its fully automated licenses and permits processes was in line with efforts to curb delays, enhance ease of doing business by making the processes faster, more transparent and more efficient for the trading public.

Speaking at the unveiling of the processes in Lagos, Zonal Coordinator, Zone A of the Service, Assistant Comptroller General ACG, Mohammed Babandede said the commencement of the automated processes will bring to an end the experience of stakeholders in the areas of long queues of paper works and the uncertainties associated with manual processing.

He also disclosed that the Service has kicked off series of stakeholders’ engagements, beginning with Zone A headquarters in Lagos, adding that the engagements would hold in all its Zones of the Service to enhance the understanding of the processes before the commencement of its implementation.

“The goal is to ensure that every stakeholder has a good knowledge of the new automated system before it is implemented.

“For stakeholders, automation of the licenses and permits process means that stakeholders will no longer have to go to any Customs office to apply for renewal of license or permit, track the status of their applications real time while applications will be processed faster and can be done from the office or even on phones while the process will be same for everyone, simple and transparent.

“With the steps that have been taken, Customs is not just automating a process, it is transforming the way it serves Nigeria’s trade community.

“For us at the Nigeria Customs Service, the automation of the process means better record keeping, reducing the risk of errors that come with manual records, better supervision, and the ability to serve more stakeholders at once without increasing the burden on the officers”, ACG, Babandede said.

He urged the stakeholders, who attended the flag off ceremony to take the knowledge acquired at the event back to their associations for their other colleagues, adding that the more people understand the new process, the smoother the transition will be.

Meanwhile, Comptroller of Customs in charge of License and Permit Unit in the Tariffs and Trade Department, Ngozika Anozie said the automation of the licenses and permits process was in line with the three point- agenda of the Comptroller General on Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation, and the need to key into global best practices especially, given that the CG is the current Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation WCO.

She said: “The automation also became necessary because it will enhance the statutory revenue generation duties of the Service for the fact that fees are paid into the coffers of government with every single license and permit processed; imports are made with the permits, the clearing processes are stamped with the licenses issued and obviously, revenue is generated.

“The more licenses and permit issued or renewed by Customs, the more the revenue that would be generated for NCS and Nigeria’s economy.”

She appealed to the officers, whose schedule of duties interface with Licenses and Permits Unit to embrace this automation, to enable the CGC, the Customs management and all the officers to achieve their purpose and add to the other successes of the Customs while she also implored the stakeholders to embrace the automation to enable them reap the benefits.

The Comptroller also assured that the automation process is simple and seamless, adding that the bond seat officers of various Customs Area Commands have been trained before now for this automation process; but that the Customs is holding the event to refresh their memories on it once more, so that all will be on the same pedestal to enhance the application and utilisation of the process.

A highpoint of the event was a display of video charts on the application of the process for the stakeholders, who attended the enlightenment session. The Service also organised an interactive session during which the stakeholders were allowed to ask questions to enhance their understanding of the new process while experts provided answers and clarifications on the questions.