In readiness for launch of it’s e-Customs, otherwise known as it’s paperless regime,plans have been concluded by the Nigeria Customs Service,to purchase no fewer than 135 Scanners in the next two years.
Customs helmsman ,Hameed Ali, who made the disclosure in Abuja said the Scanners would be deployed to entry points, including border Stations, air and seaports. Ali who was responding to questions at the World Customs Day Celebration in Abuja held at the Service’s Board room, also revealed that the three multi purpose Scanners acquired last year by the Ministry of Finance and deployed to Apapa, Tin Can and Onne Ports would be commissioned soon and put to use.He said the new Scanners have the capacity to scan no fewer than 20 containers in an hourvand that this would drastically eliminate the delays usually associated with cargo examination and clearance at the ports.
The CGC also dismissed fears by the organized private sector that the Nigeria Customs Service may have abandoned its traditional role as a trade facilitator for revenue generation . Said the CGC: “I want to seize this opportunity to clear the impression in certain quarters that we have abandoned our role as trade a facilitator. I want to put it on record that the roles expected of us as trade facilitator, revenue generation and protection of interest of Nigerians are interwoven, none is more important than the other’,he explained. The theme for this year’s World Customs Day is ” Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem”. No fewer than 19 officers were honoured for their outstanding performance in year.