Customs in Nigeria, Benin, Cameroun, others to streamline checkpoints

THE Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS), in
collaboration with its
counterpart in Benin
Republic, Cameroun, Chad
and Niger has resolved to
streamline the operation
of checkpoints through
the use of professional
tools.

According to the various
Customs commands,
there is need to adhere
strictly to the provisions
of transit protocols in the
regional economic
groups.
A communiqué issued at
the end of a meeting held
in Abuja and made
available to The Guardian
at the weekend called for
regional trade and need
to foster professionalism
in Customs operations.

To this end, the
leadership of the Customs
commands also called for
the setting up of
dedicated desks in "our
Customs administrations
to address the issues and
challenges related to
transit trade among the
proximate countries."
Other resolutions
reached include need to
"Collaborate with partner
government agencies to
reduce non-tariff barriers
associated with
movement of goods
across borders, and
implement fast tack
concessions for compliant
traders in line with
international best
practices."

It added: "Establish focal
points within our
Customs administrations
to communicate within
our region movement of
goods and pursue on-
going projects related to
interconnectivity of our
computer systems."
Other resolutions
include: "Communicate
significant seizures and
method of concealment
among our Customs
administrations to enable
us build formidable risk
profiles of cross-border
operators.

"Use ICT tools to
facilitate exchange of
information between our
Customs administrations,
establish clearly the
documents and
instruments that will be
exchanged between our
Customs administrations
to ensure transparency
and work towards
conclusion of mutual
administrative assistance
agreements among our
administrations.

"Commended the joint
border patrol currently in
operation between
Nigeria and Niger and
urged the other countries
to make consultations
with their governments
to seek necessary
approvals to extend same
to the rest of the region,
work out the modalities,
supporting logistics, as
well as the command and
control structure.

"Call on national
governments to support
joint cross borders
patrols through the
provision of adequate
vehicles and equipment.
"Expressed support for
current efforts to
establish joint border
posts between countries
in the proximate region,
and take concrete actions
to put in place the
modalities for actual
implementation," among
others.
Reference: Guardian