Abuja, Feb. 28, 2024: The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is partnering with the Directorate-General Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) of the European Union (EU), to facilitate trade, monitor export and documentations in Nigeria.
The Comptroller-General (CG) of customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this after a meeting with the DG TAXUD on Tuesday in Abuja.
Adeniyi said that the partnership was apt, considering that the NCS was seeking a credible digital platform that would enhance its validation of documents.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would open a new frontier of opportunities between the two economic blocs of registered exporters.
He stressed the need for a framework between customs and DG TAXUD that could be used to verify and validate export commodities.
“As part of our outreach program, we are also working with other agencies of the Nigerian government so that we maximise these opportunities.
“In the past, we have had goods from Nigeria returned because of quality and storage.
“We have moved to establish a ‘one-stop-shop’ export seat for export documentation, so that it will help us reduce the time taken for Nigerian exporters to get their goods out of our port.
“Earlier this month, we launched the Time Release Studies, which we are targeting towards importing of goods and how much it takes for businessmen to clear their goods in the port,” he said.
He said that the exercise would involve identifying bureaucratic modules, procedures, or laws that cause delays, with a view to accelerate the process of clearing goods from the ports.
“My intention for us is to have a system that is better, faster, and easier to confirm your request within a very short period.
“I want us to talk about exportation like we all talk about importation,” he said.
On his part, Mr Gary Wilkinson, from the Rules of Origin Unit, DG TAXUD, said that Nigerian products have been earmarked to receive a four per cent tariff discount on their exports.
Wilkinson added that specific rules have been put in place to ascertain the origin of products under the organisation’s Generalised System of Preference scheme.
The DG TAXUD manages, defends, and develops the customs union as an essential part of securing the outer borders of the European Union and coordinates taxation policy across the region.
