All is now set for the unveiling of the Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) cargo time release study (TRS) in September, 2024, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), TCIP command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi has said.
This is coming on the heels of the several hiccups that have trailed the collation of data for the TRS.
The TRS was launched at TICP in February 2024 to determine the length of time it takes to clear a cargo at the port+.
The unveiling of the TRS is expected to attract stakeholders in the international trade community including stakeholders in the maritime industry, especially port users.
Nnadi who disclosed this at the secretariat of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Apapa, Lagos while briefing journalists on the performance of the command in the first half of 2024, recently revealed that the World Customs Organization (WCO) assisted NCS in the TRS initiative.
The Customs Chief who supervises the TRS said his officers and men encountered several challenges during the course of the study but was excited to hint that the report will be released in September.
His words: “We had challenges in carrying out the Time Release Study and the biggest challenge was apathy on the side of port users. The port is a very dynamic environment and people are always in a hurry to clear their goods. So, it is extremely difficult to have them respond to questionnaires. But we had to be very creative to get the responses of the importers. We had to organise meetings both physical and on zoom in order to get the importers and clearing agents involvement in the study.
“We were given a target of 600 respondents but we had to increase the number to 1,000 because Nigeria is a big country. We needed to ensure that we are able to cover an extensive sample large enough to fairly represent the population of the international trade community in Nigeria.”
He explained that TCIP was chosen for the TRS because of the delay in cargo release which was already known about the port.
According to him, there has been a significant improvement since after the clearing of the port access roads and reactivation of night operation at TCIP which remains the second busiest port in the country.
He revealed that all agencies in the port and captains of industry who make up the country’s National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) are involved in the TRS whose outcome is expected to show the way to shorter period for release of goods from the port and improve cargo turnaround time significantly.
The WCO TRS is a strategic and internationally recognized tool to measure the actual time required for the release or clearance of goods from the time of arrival until the physical release of cargo, with a view to finding bottlenecks in the trade flow process and taking necessary measures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of border procedures.
The updated version of the WCO TRS Guide, known as the “Guide to measure the time required for the release of goods (Version 3)” incorporates a number of key features. It brings forward new dynamics and opportunities for Customs Administrations to work in a collaborative manner with other relevant government agencies and trade stakeholders in the arena of performance measurement.
It is specifically referenced in Article 7.6 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) as a tool for members to measure and publish the average release time of goods. The TRS is being increasingly used by members with respect to strategic planning and the proper sequencing of TFA measures in accordance with their NCTF.
Maritime Bits had reported that this is the first time TRS was being launched at Nigerian trade borders. In 2010, NCS underwent an extensive TRS facilitated by the USAID MARKETS Project, concentrating on the Apapa Port and Seme Border.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi had said that approximately 20 over reaching recommendations emerged, encompassing initiatives such as establishing an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, introducing a single window system, procuring extra cargo handling equipment, and undertaking infrastructure repairs at the ports, among others.
Adeniyi explained that a second endeavor was made in 2018, albeit unsuccessful, primarily due to inadequate collaboration among the pertinent agencies involved.
While launching the current TRS at TCIP in February, the CGC said: “Today’s exercise builds on the lessons learned from both the 2010 and 2018 attempts. We have made significant progress since then, including the implementation of paperless clearance and advancements in our AEO programmes.
“Provisions under the new Customs Act now speak to the imposition of penalties to deter non-compliance. Today, we are joining other Customs Administrations in the world that have embraced the tools developed by the WCO to promote the growth of international trade”.
