e-Customs Projects To Rake $176bn
When the customs projects finally take off, Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) will generate $176 billion in revenue over a period of 20 years.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hammed Ali disclosed Monday in Abuja during the signing of the NCS modernisation project concession agreement, saying that additional 30,000 officers would be recruited to boost efficiency.
The $3.2 billion e-Customs projects to be financed by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and managed by Huawei Technologies Limited under a 20-year concession window, is expected to quadruple Customs’ current N210 billion monthly revenue collection.
The project ought to have commenced two years ago but could not due to unforeseen exigencies.
Ali added that the e-Customs project would not only swell government revenue but would scrub off operational tardiness, enhance productivity, boost global competitiveness, eliminate arbitrariness, drastically reduce human error and interference and ultimately change the entire Customs operational landscape.
“The journey has been long and torturous. But we’ve eventually signed the dotted lines. I want to appreciate the ICRC for the commitment to see the project to fruition. I appreciate our partner, Huawei Technologies Limited. They have been part of it. We had to go to China a couple of times. Today, we are going to become a fully digitised Service. I thank the AFC for financing this project on behalf of the entire Nigerians.
“The success of this project will be on the global map. We are going to hit the ground running. It is a very beneficial project especially as it will garner $176 billion for the concession period. We are likely to surpass that. It is a 20-year project by which time all aspects of it would have been deployed and Nigerians will decide whether to own it or allow it to run as a concession.
“Soon, we will invite Mr President to flag off this project but before then, work starts in earnest. There are rumours that it’ll weed off officers, but it’s not true. If anything, we have 15,000 officers but we need nothing less than 30,000 to efficiently carry out our mandate.
“But we must all be computer literate. It’ll be a paperless operation. Our import, export, and clearance processes will be completely digitised. We will enhance and sanitise the process. We will orient everyone to key into it. We are looking forward to tripling our finances and the 7 per cent commission for revenue collection is a big deal for us.”
Also, the acting director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Michael Ohiani, described the project as revolutionary, adding that it would bring digital smart processes and procedures to Customs operations.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and other government agencies involved in midwifing the project.
“This is a migration from analogue to digital. We urge the concessionaire to stick to the rules of engagement as we will be monitoring the project every step of the way,” he stated.
In his remarks, a representative of the project partners, Huawei Technologies Limited, Kelvin Yang assured that all deliverables were in place, adding that process automation and paperless Customs will be fully achieved.
Also, the Chairman, of Project Modernisation Limited, Saleh Amodu, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the project and thanked the Customs boss for envisioning it.
He noted that the need for global modernization requires an agile response from Nigeria as a nation.
Amodu said: “The project will ease export and simplify import and earn Forex for the country.
We are ready to hit the ground running and the capital outlay of $3.2 billion is being worked out with AFC. The target of $176 billion will be achieved if not surpassed. There will be business growth, improvement in the global supply chain and creating employment.”
Also speaking, Halima Ibrahim Abba, the Special Assistant to Chief Investment Officer at AFC said that the project will serve as a template for other African nations to emulate.
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