FG slashes import, export documentation requirements

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun says the Federal Government has reduced documentation requirements for import and export, to facilitate trade.
Adeosun made this known on Thursday in Lagos at a Sensitisation Workshop with the theme: “Understanding Nigeria’s Revised Import and Export Guidelines, Procedures and Documentation Requirements for Ease of Doing Business’’.
According to the minister, the measures include the reduction of documentation requirements from 10 to seven, for exports and from 14 to eight, for imports.
Adeosun, who was represented by the Director, Home Finance, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Olubunmi Siyanbola, said that additional responsibilities had been given to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Ports
Authority (NPA) and the shipping lines/other carriers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that government’s attention is principally focused on measures to ensure reduction in time spent on processing of export and also to ensure 24-hour clearance of cargo imported into the country.
The minister announced that the NCS shall coordinate the mandatory joint examination and Sign-Off Form, within the official working hours, including Saturdays.
“NCS shall make available the shipping manifests to other examination agencies as soon as they are received, to enable enough time for Risk Assessment.
“Nigeria Integrated Customs Information Systems (NICIS) should be strengthened to accommodate more agencies.
“Shipping lines shall transmit to the NCS and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the cargo manifest, before leaving the last Ports of Call to Nigeria.
“Shipping lines shall ensure that Nigeria-bound containerised cargo are palletised,’’ Adeosun said.
The minister said that a new section had been introduced, which stated that the NPA shall receive cargo manifests from shipping lines before the ship leaves the last Port of Call and circulate to other regulatory agencies for Risk Assessment and Profiling.
Adeosun said that NPA shall be responsible for traffic management of vessels and shall ensure pilotage of vessels.
The minister commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari toward ensuring the Ease of Doing business, which had started yielding dividends in some areas.
According to her, in the recent World Bank report, Nigeria had moved up 24 points from 169th position on the 2017 ranking and also 170the position on the 2016 ranking to 145th position in the World Bank’s 2018 report.
“That is, Nigeria is now in 145th position out of 190 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index for 2018,’’ she said.
Adeosun said that government was working relentlessly to quickly put in order the scanning system, so as to eliminate manual examination of goods and other associated delays.