Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has girded up in pursuance of 48 hours cargo clearance goal following a launch of its Trade Hub Portal (THP).
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, coordinating minister of the economy and Minister of Finance, expressed optimism with the portal, adding that the new Trade Hub Portal designed by the Nigeria Customs Service will greatly reduce delays associated with cross borders trade and help Nigeria attain 48 hour clearance goal at ports.
The minister, represented by Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwaobia, permanent secretary from the ministry, at the official launch of the new Nigeria Trade Hub Portal and the Nigeria Import, Export and transit process manual in Abuja within the week, also stated that the new trade portal would greatly reduce cost for businesses operating in Nigeria.
“To facilitate trade this administration has already successfully implemented reforms at Nigeria’s ports and substantially reduced the number of agencies operating at these ports. The Nigeria trade single window is similarly a useful step towards improving trade facilitation in our country”.
Explaining the importance of the new trade portal, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, stated the trade hub would sanitise the Nigerian international trade environment and place Nigeria at par with countries like Madagaster, Mozambique, Qatar, Saudi Arabia with have shown efficient and comparator economics in the world by making use of a single window.
Aganga said before now, Nigeria’s business environment was described as poor, unfriendly, uncompetitive and uncoordinated with customs processes contributing hugely to the negative image.
He, however, said that the Nigeria trade hub project could not have come at a better time as it was a veritable tool needed to drive the nation’s trade cycle to the next level of development.