The Tincan Island Port Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it recorded a 42 per cent stakeholder feedback achievement on its Time Release Study (TRS) survey, aimed at improving cargo clearance and trade facilitation.

The area customs comptroller, Dera Nnadi, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Lagos.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, launched TRS on February 8 to enhance cargo clearance and facilitate trade in Nigeria.

“So far, we have achieved 42 per cent compliance. We are targeting 100 per cent, but the challenge we are having is that what we expect from the survey feedback questionnaire is not what we are getting.

“The number of questionnaire returns is an indication of the number of people who do not understand the concept of TRS,” Mr Nnadi said.

According to him, the TRS was a strategic and internationally recognised tool developed by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) for the clearance of goods from arrival until the physical release of cargo.

Mr Nnadi, who is also the implementation chairman of TRS for Customs, said that the NCS underwent a comprehensive TRS in 2010 conducted by the USAID Markets Project, focusing on the Apapa Port and Seme Border.

He said that about 20 cross-cutting recommendations were made during the study.

They include the development of an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, the implementation of a single window system, the purchase of additional cargo handling equipment, and infrastructure repairs at the ports, among others.

He said that a second attempt, though unsuccessful, was made in 2018 due to a lack of proper collaboration among the relevant agencies.

“Today’s exercise builds on the lessons learned from both the 2010 and 2018 attempts.

“We have made significant progress since then, including the implementation of paperless clearance and advancements in our AEO programmes.

”Provisions under the new Customs Act now speak to the imposition of penalties to deter non-compliance,” Mr Nnadi said.

Mr Nnadi emphasised the strategic importance of TRS in spite of encountering delays and challenges in data collation.

Drawing from previous TRS attempts, he noted that NCS aims to enhance efficiency, as evidenced by recent advancements such as paperless clearance and strengthened compliance measures under the new Customs Act.

Mr Nnadi, however, explained that there was a pressing need for increased stakeholder engagement to ensure the study’s completion by the August 2024 deadline, as timely cargo release is paramount for trade operations.

WCO had given the Nigeria Customs Service six months, starting from February 8 until August, to complete the survey on the TRS.

NCS joined other customs administrations in the world that have embraced TRS by WCO to promote the growth of international trade.

The WCO remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing customs procedures through various instruments and tools, such as the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

Among these initiatives is the Time Release Study (TRS), developed to provide comprehensive insights into customs operations’ efficiency. The TRS in Nigeria started with Tincan Island Port, serving as the pilot location.

The TRS method is a systematic and standardised approach used to measure the total duration of time from the arrival of goods at the customs border until their release.

(NAN)