Harboursandport.com: Lagos --- Port operations have been grounded for three days running following the
failure of the Customs Server with the implementation of the Services’ new automated
system for cargo clearance, the NICIS2.
Nigeria Customs Integrated System 2, NICIS2, is the new Customs
automated system for cargo clearance.
The system failure has resulting in the difficult of importers, their
agents and other port users to process their documents to enable them take
delivery of the consignments.
Customs Area Controller, CAC in charge of Apapa Area1 Command, Jibrin
Musa, who disclosed this in Lagos, lamented that it has been difficult to work
since on Monday this week.
Speaking at a meeting with Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria
(MARAN) in Lagos, the Customs boss said the challenge was as a result of system
errors experienced in the execution of the NICIS 2.
The Apapa Customs boss who was represented by Yahaya Mukhtar,
Officer in Charge of Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Apapa, called for
stakeholders understanding of the situation, even as he called on importers to
always make correct declarations.
He said that wrong declaration and infractions if major cause of delay
in cargo clearance.
According to him, "Since on Monday, we have not been able to access
any work, importers have been able to capture any job, it means they have to
start capturing tomorrow and taking deliver, it means another one day
delay."
"We have held a meeting with the NICIS 2 team on some of the system
errors, the NICIS 2 is a new platform and I am sure we would overcome it."
"Apapa command is not the pilot project, the NICIS 2 was kick
started at KLT command and later at Tin Can Customs, but it is getting better
by the day, the challenges in Apapa is very little compared to those we
experienced at Tin Can," he said.
Jibrin however assured that the server failures will not lead revenue
losses for the command.
He said that at the moment, the Apapa port has only one scanning machine
and that this is not adequate for the backlog of containers.
"The scanners are not working, and we have only one scanner that is
working in Apapa, at Tin Can and other areas we do not even have any, but
in Apapa we have one that is functioning."
"If you have a backlog of works, how many containers can pass
the scanner? If every importer wants pass their containers through the scanning
site it would not be obtainable because we have just one machine" he said
Musa also said that the roads have posed a challenge to the Apapa port
operations.
No comments:
Post a Comment