E-Payment In Apapa Customs, A Success—Nnadi

The Pilot e-payment system introduced by the Nigeria Customs service to fast track clearing procedures at the port has recorded a huge success.
The Apapa command of the service, which was used as a testing ground for the novel idea, has consequently witnessed a seamless clearing procedures which have made the premier command to itch close to the 48-hour clearing system.
Dera Nnadi, the Public Relations Officer of the flagship command, was unequivocal in his assessment of the pilot project at the command.
In an interview with the National Mirror, Nnadi claimed that the e-payment has recorded a great success at the Apapa Command in terms of acceptance of SGDs, release of SGDs and other related procedural steps in the clearance system.
He disclosed that the pilot scheme was first started with Diamond Bank but the success rate recorded thereafter, make the management to suck in six more banks.
“When we started with Diamond Bank, the success recorded encouraged us to accommodate six more banks”, Nnadi declared.
According to him, the enhanced performance of the system at Apapa with small number of banks later emboldened the confidence of the Customs management to ask all the 24 dealer banks to join in the revolution.
So, in October 6th, 2008, all the accredited duty-collecting banks hooked on to the Customs server where electronic payment and confirmation now becomes a norm.
But Nnadi said the programme was not without its challenges.
“Our greatest challenge is at the area of the scanning site. We have identified it as our major challenge and we are tackling it” he said enthusiastically.
He declared that the delays experienced by Importers and their agents at the scanning sites most of the time resulted into not being able to pay to the banks whom he said close at 4.00 p.m.
This automatically leaves the containers on the trucks the next day when truck drivers demand extra payment.
“When you load cargo for scanning, it is exited from APMT yard. When such cargo is scanned and you cannot for any reason pay at the bank before four O'clock, the container remains on the truck.  In the morning, the drivers ask four extra payments. So agents are finding that burdensome”, revealed the Customs image.
He however said that the Customs management has already applied itself to solving the problem through encouragement of elongated banking service hours.
“The management is trying to see how it can encourage weekend banking and see how banks work extra hours on week days” Nnadi said.
He however disclosed that the success recorded at Apapa Customs with e-payment has made the Customs authority to export the idea to other commands.