BY TOM OKPE
The Nigeria Shippers Council has revealed that the country lost $2.5bn in 5 years over non implementation of the international Cargo Tracking notes, ICTN.
Also, Chairman of Shipping lines Association of Nigeria, Boma Alabi, SAN, kicked against the proposed Cargo Tracking Bill describing it as another toll gate for government.
This was made known at the Public Hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Shipping Services and related matters at the the National Assembly, Abuja on Tuesday.
The Executive Secretary of the SCN, Pius Akutah, who made the revelation said: “The country lost $2.5 billion dollars in five years over non implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Notes, ICTN.”
He also said the non-implementation costs the country, $500 million yearly.
While addressing the Committee, Chairman, Shipping Lines Association of Nigeria, Boma said these trends will not enhance the ease of doing business and trading in Nigeria.
She said the shipping industry in Nigeria is already overburdened with red tape and certainly, does not require another layer of bureaucracy which is what the proposed Cargo Tracking Bill will result in.
“All exporters and importers are able to track their goods on the website of the Shipping Lines, generally speaking. In addition, the Shipping lines have to upload their manifest to the Customs NICIS portal, which is connected to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, single window. They also have to upload this information to NPA, NIMASA, NDLEA, and DSS.
“The ICTN without streamlining the existing process will only result in further delays and congestion,” she said.
In his presentation, Akutah said Nigeria has lost almost 2.5 billion dollars. Within the last five years that Nigeria has not implemented the ICTN. Because of some investigations that arose out of which, EFCC conducted some of its investigations, a period of five years passed.
“Within the last five years. They implemented for two years and somehow stopped. In the last five years they have not done it. We are losing that amount in dollars.
“So, in Nigeria today, there have been some attempts that were made at implementing this. Altogether, a period of two years which it was implemented, some revenue was generated.
“But, because of some issues surrounding the implementation, issues were raised that led to investigation by even the law enforcement agencies, this only took place within a period of two years.
“Within the last five years or thereabout that this has not been implemented, Nigeria has lost not less than one to five billion dollars. If we implement it, that is what we should be able to put in the economy, within a period of two years.
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“The implementation as at that time, brief, but generated quite a good number of income for the country. So this is just part of what Nigeria is losing.”
In his contribution, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, represented by Director, Maritime services, Babatunde Sule said though the Federal Executive Council, FEC of the past administration’s approved the contract at the tail end of the administration, but the process of award, was wrong.
According to the Minister, the process that led to the approval of the Contract by previous administration was wrong.
The Chairman of the Commitee, Rep Abdussamad Dasuki stated that the ICTN is far more than an administrative requirement but an essential tool designed to bring transparency, security, and operational efficiency to the movement of cargo across, borders.
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