Uzotex Bonded Terminal, a subsidiary of Blue Diamond Logistics China, has called for urgent reforms in the processing of debit notes at Nigerian ports, saying importers should not have to wait two or three days to make additional payments required for the release of their cargo.
The call was echoed by other importers in the sector, who said faster processing would improve port operations and reduce delays.
Chairman of Blue Diamond Logistics China, Festus Mbisiogu, made the call in Lagos during the company’s 20th anniversary ceremony.
Mbisiogu said debit notes should be processed within one or two hours once an importer has been assessed and directed to make additional payment.
He said although recent digital reforms by the Nigeria Customs Service had improved cargo tracking and reduced clearance times for some consignments, unnecessary delays still persisted in parts of the clearance process.
According to him, the objective of port reforms should be to ensure that compliant importers can move their cargo out of the ports as quickly as possible after meeting all regulatory and financial obligations.
Mbisiogu said reducing delays would improve port efficiency, lower the cost of doing business and prevent the avoidable accumulation of storage, demurrage and other charges.
The Blue Diamond chairman commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its digital innovations, saying the reforms had improved cargo visibility and enabled importers to track their consignments online.
He noted that the new digital processes had reduced the clearance period for some cargoes from about one week to between two and three days.
Mbisiogu described the ability to monitor cargo movement and release processes online as a significant improvement over the previous system, adding that the development demonstrated how technology could improve Nigeria’s trade environment when properly implemented.
He, however, urged the Customs Service to sustain the reforms by identifying and eliminating remaining bottlenecks in cargo clearance.
Mbisiogu also supported the NCS’s recent compliance actions involving bonded terminals, saying operators must understand that authorities were increasingly monitoring activities carried out under their licences.
He said the enforcement drive would strengthen confidence in the cargo clearance system and ensure that bonded facilities operate in line with regulatory requirements.
Also speaking at the event, former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, commended the company for what he described as its resilience, integrity and reliability.
