In order to aid fast clearance of goods at the Port and generate more revenue for the Federal Government, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed Commissioned three 500 maximum capacity ultra-modern Scanners in Lagos.
The Minister of Finance also disclosed at the APM Terminal in Apapa, that one hundred and twenty Customs Officers and Men have already been trained to man the scanning machines and the scanners will further upgrade the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service in line with international best practices.
"This process enables more cargoes to be scanned and brings about the desired efficiency and effectiveness in Customs cargoes examinations.
“I, therefore implore the Management of the NCS to collaborate with the contractors to ensure proper maintenance and full utilization of the Scanners within the thirty (30) months provided in the contract agreement, as well as enhanced capacity building and training of one hundred and twenty (120) Customs scanning officers." She said.
Similarly, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) said, the Service is ever ready and will ensure good use of the new equipment.
"Unlike previous attempts at managing scanners, our officers have been trained up to level 2 maintenance capability. This ensures that the day-to-day management of these machines will be proficiently handled by our officers who have been trained and certified by the manufacturers to carry out basic maintenance.
“We appreciate our partners the terminal operators, who have taken the pains to adjust their operations to suit the innovations of the moment. Our continuous collaboration will ensure that cargos are promptly delivered for scanning and evacuated from the ports as soon as they are certified to be compliant by our officers and other regulatory agencies." He said.
Considering the usefulness of the scanners, the CGC said, it will further aid full compliance with extant laws and facilitate trade for compliant traders.
"We know that this equipment will be of special benefit to manufacturers who import homogenous items in large volumes. We also know that importers of high-risk goods will no longer have any place to hide. So we are hereby putting recalcitrant traders on notice. They either change or be ready to face the full consequence of their actions." He emphasized.
Speaking further, the CGC noted that, the cargo scanning process will not only reduce the stress associated with positioning, offloading and taking inventory of containers. It will store recorded images in a safe format easily accessible by all agencies from the comfort of their offices.
Another advantage is, it will make the auditing of transactions using images easier and will checkmate attempts by non-compliant traders to cheat the system.
“The challenge of security is of immense concern to all well-meaning citizens. Since we know that a good number of items that pose a threat to national security find their way through our various entry points, we believe that the equipment that is being commissioned today will greatly enhance our capacity to defend our dear nation." He also stated.
“As we approach phase one of the customs modernization, we shall see the deployment of scanners to all sea ports, airports, and approved land borders. We shall also witness the launch of a central data management system when live feeds from our ports and borders can be viewed and monitored from our headquarters” He added.
The three Scanning machines were installed in Apapa Port, Tincan Island Port, and Onne Port respectively.
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