The Nigerian  Customs Service,  NCS,  has called for synergy among all stakeholders in the Nigerian business environment to help in the proper implementation of the reforms by the NCS, to promote the ease of doing business in the country,  which the federal government is also committed to.

The Comptroller General of the Customs,  Col. Hameed Ali said this while speaking at a two day stakeholder workshop by the NCS, on reforms on the ease of doing business.

Ali who was represented by the Assistant Comptroller General of the NCS in charge of tariff and trade at the customs head quarters, Mr Alu  Robert said, “the workshop is to facilitate trade in Nigeria and the reform is wholistic. Now that we’re engaging the stakeholders. We expect that things will definitely improve. The reform is for everyone and so we all must be on the same page. And this is particularly interesting because now the political will has become manifest which is why it has become necessary to engage with the stakeholders.”

Alu however added that to create an enabling environment for effective trade facilitation and curb corruption at the ports, full automation must be put in place.

However, the federal government through the Special Senior Assistant to the President on Industry trade and investment, Jumoke Oduwole said that the government will also work with relevant stakeholders to make the country’s index in the world Bank ease of doing business ranking more favourable. “We hope to move at least 20 places up, from our current position which is one of the reasons the government set up the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, and a 60 day action plan was given by the government this is especially to help SMEs to easily transact business in the country, even as we create a friendly business climate, without which we’ll continue to lose money”, Oduwole said.

“In order to improve the ease of doing business and reduce the cumbersome process experienced during cargo clearance, documentation process for export is now reduced from 10 to 7 while for all imports; documentation is now from 14 to 8”, Oduwole added.

Highlighting some of the reforms by the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Anthony Ayalogu said that the work of the Customs service has to be made easier by business owners. According to him,  There will now be a reduction of documentation for export and import while the NCS will also coordinate the scheduling of container examination between all agencies.  “We will also accelerate pre-order export documentation procedures”. All these he added can only be made possible if importers and exporters abide by the new procedures put forth by the Nigerian Customs Service.