Customs Introduces One-stop-shop To Cut Demurrage, Cargo Dwell Time At Ports

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said the introduction of the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) initiative will minimise demurrage costs and reduce cargo dwell time across all seaports, airports, and land borders in the country.

This was disclosed on Thursday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the introduction of the OSS at the nation’s seaports held at the Apapa Command of the Service.

LEADERSHIP reports that the OSS initiative was introduced to enhance trade facilitation, promote efficiency, and strengthen accountability by enabling joint review, examination, and decision-making processes in one location.

It also ensures real-time data sharing, centralised documentation, analytical reporting, and seamless trader engagement through the Customs portal.

Speaking at the event, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Zone A, ACG Mohammed Babandede, said the OSS was designed to make Nigeria’s ports and borders more competitive and business-friendly for importers, clearing agents, and other stakeholders.

“The essence of this One-Stop-Shop is to facilitate trade. The CGC, in his wisdom, decided to roll out this trade facilitation tool because he is passionate about improving processes at our seaports, airports, and land borders. We want to make our ports competitive and friendly so that importers can continue to patronise them,” Babandede stated.

He urged clearing agents and importers to remain compliant in order to enjoy the benefits of the new initiative, adding that collaboration and understanding of the OSS framework would enhance its success.

Speaking earlier, the technical supervisor, OSS, Olawale Onigbanjo, explained that, the initiative will ensure maximum duties and revenue are collected by the fede

Onigbanjo stated further that the service would ensure improvement on the cargo evacuation processes by eliminating redundant checks through single joint examination, replacing multiple sequential interventions with a unified approach.

He argued that the strategic impact of the OSS initiative was to represent significant step forward in Nigeria’s trade facilitation journey by also aligning with global best practices while addressing challenges.

“The OSS initiative is targeted at revenue recovery, that is, we’ll be able to track additional duties collected through the OSS process. Also, when the federal government benefits from this process in ensuring that there is maximum duties and revenue collected, we also want to ensure that our notable partners and stakeholders are assured that their demurrage will be reduced.

“So we want to ensure that we reduce their wage costs in process. The key benefits and next steps for the One-Stop Shop initiative is to reduce clearance time from 21 days to 48 hours, minimising their demurrage and cost congestion while enhancing trade facilitation.”

Onigbanjo, however, stated that, the OSS would align with Nigeria’s trade facilitation journey as well as global best practices while addressing global challenges.

“The strategic impact that the OSS initiative is going to represent is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s trade facilitation journey that align with global best practices while addressing global challenges, “ he said.