Customs boss says agency to begin electronic cargo tracking in 2019

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says plans are ongoing to introduce Electronic Cargo Tracking System in 2019 to enhance its operations at various border posts in the country.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, made this known at a joint press conference with his counterpart from Uganda, Kateshumbwa Dicksons.

The briefing followed a lecture series at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Ali explained that the service under his leadership had started evaluating different scientific proposals with a view to commencing the electronic cargo tracking system in the country.

He expressed the hope that by 2019, the enforcement and use of e-Cargo tracking would commence.

“By next year, if the finances are available and we are in agreement with our Technology Service Provider, we will start the electronic cargo tracking system even if we will begin on a small scale.

“Though we use technology in tracking cargo in some border posts but we must have technology to monitor everything collectively,’’ he said.

The comptroller-general said the Service had reached an agreement with his Ugandan counterpart on how to collaborate and achieve desired results.

Mr Ali explained that NCS had a lot of things in common with Uganda’s Customs and Revenue Authority in terms of driving desired reforms in the service.

He identified the application of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for positive change in customs as well as developing a strategy to manage cross-border weapon and fight corruption.

According to him, he has started working in collaboration with his counterpart in Uganda to explore this good initiative that had been introduced in that country.

Also speaking, Mr Dicksons, the Commissioner for Customs, Uganda Revenue Authority, said Nigeria and Uganda must work together to solve the problems of customs in the two countries.

Mr Dicksons noted that the roles of customs in Nigeria and Uganda were the same, hence the need to collaborate to achieve their goals collectively.

According to him, modernisation must be embraced in solving challenges in the customs service.

He said that customs must put the right procedure in place to facilitate trade while expressing happiness that the two countries were on the right track as far as modernisation was concerned. (NAN)