COVID-19: Customs reduces physical examination of cargoes at ports

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has reduced the number of physical checks cargoes has to undergo at the ports.

Anthony Anyalogu, the customs deputy comptroller, said checks were reduced to ensure physical distancing and enhance cargo clearance operations at the ports during COVID-19 pandemic.

NAN reports that Anyalogu, who is also the representative of the NCS at the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), was speaking on ‘Enhancing Cargo Clearance Operation in Nigeria during COVID-19’ at a virtual dialogue organised by Ships and Ports.

He said the service is planning to introduce the use of endoscopic cameras for inspection of cargoes that require a physical examination.

The inspection camera, he said, would help reduce physical contact and increase the speed of examination.

“During this COVID-19 period, we were advised to do our processes with less contact to prevent the spread of the virus, and that means that we should increase the number and percentage of goods that go into scanning and green lane, which means no customs examination,” he explained.

“So presently, what we are doing is to decrease the number of containers that will go into physical examination while we try to increase the percentage of goods that go into green and blue lanes.

“We cannot stop the physical examination, we also have to look for what will replace it because it is mostly goods that are more susceptible to non-compliance that is physically examined.

“We are planning to procure endoscopic cameras that can be used to inspect the containers to reduce offloading, physical contact and increase speed apart from scanners that take a long time to procure.”

The customs boss also said the number of alerts placed on cargoes has also reduced to as low as 10 percent adding that the NICIS 11 platform allows importers and agents make a declaration and pay import duty electronically.

Anyalogu said human interface still exists at the port because other agencies involved in cargo clearance were yet to integrate into the platform.

However, Kayode Farinto, vice president of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), negated Anyalogu’s claims saying that physical examination of cargoes, which breeds human contact, was still happening at the port.

“The problem is that customs is not ready to change and they do not believe in coronavirus pandemic because if they do, they would have streamlined human contact,” he said.

“Just recently, customs sent another unit to be part of the examination at the port. We still have more than five units that put intervention on cargo.”

He said the customs service should be blamed if there is an outbreak at the ports.