Stakeholders seek legal framework for national single window

Stakeholders in the Marine and Blue Economy sector have called for the enactment of a legal instrument that would support the rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) project, posture of the current administration which is expected to commence by the first quarter of next year.

Speaking at the 10th Annual Seminar for Maritime Journalists and Launch of the Centre for Maritime Media and Capacity Development in Lagos, the former Acting President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Dr Kayode Farinto observed that the  implementation of the  National Single Window would bring various government agencies at the port together to facilitate international trade, reduce time and cost and boost government revenue.

The event was organised by First Mediacon Network Limited (FMNL) with “A Decade of Collaboration for Impact: Strengthening Maritime Journalism for the Future” as theme.

Farinto and other stakeholders at the forum stressed the need for a legal framework in the implementation of the project, adding that there must be punishment for Chief Executive Officers of agencies who deliberately circumvent, delay cargoes and make officers extort traders or freight forwarders unnecessarily.

“Our position is that we need a legal framework to legitimise the various Acts that would be submerged under one project for it to be fully implemented.

“For example, the various government agencies like Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigeria Customs Service now have the 2023 Act which they have just started its implementation.

“For us to have these government agencies working together, there must be a legal framework so that it would be sacrosanct.

“In this legal framework, there must be punishment for Chief Executive Officers who deliberately circumvent, delay cargoes and make officers extort traders or freight forwarders unnecessarily,” Farinto said

He added that the new tax laws recently signed by President Bola Tinubu has a provision for Tax Ombudsman, which according to him will further help the implementation of the NSW.

In his address, the National Vice President of ANLCA, Prince Segun Oduntan expressed hope that the planned rollout of the National Single Window would adhere strictly to global best practices, delivering a truly unified platform capable of reducing delays, cutting costs and resolving long-standing inter-agency conflicts at the nation’s ports.

The National Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Maiwada said the Service has deployed digital knowledge and relevant technology to increase its revenue by enhancing operational efficiency, improving compliance, and detecting fraud in all its operations.

He assured that the Service would key into the National Single Window project of the Federal Government when it becomes operational next year

Digital knowledge, he said, provides secure and transparent records of transactions and cargo movements, ensuring immutability and reducing opportunities for corruption and fraud.

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The Chief Executive Officer, FMNL, Sesan Onileimo, said maritime journalists are confronted with the need to upscale their knowledge, especially in this era of Artificial Intelligence, digitalisation and social media in general.

Onileimo said all of these have combined to put journalists under intense pressure to push out factual details at all times, and also compete and be relevant, which is why the Maritime Journalists Capacity Development Centre was established.