By Steve Agbota
Clearing agents have decried several yuletide cargoes destined for markets across the country that are presently trapped at Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports due to the failure of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) internet server.
This has, however, created apprehension among clearing agents operating at the ports who could not carry out their business activities since Monday.
Investigation by Daily Sun confirmed that Custom’s server breakdown has become more frequent of late and has become a major bottleneck in cargo clearance at the Lagos ports. The server failure, which has been blamed on the inefficiency and ineptitude of the service provider, Webb Fontaine, reportedly made capture of information and release of cargoes a herculean task.
However, since the technical glitch hampers trade by causing delay, and in turn, compelling importers to pay millions of Naira as demurrage to shipping companies, and storage to terminal operators, clearing agents have consistently called on the Federal Government to replace the service provider, Webb Fontaine. Also, the breakdown of Customs server affects the revenue generation drive of the various commands of the Service.
According to the Public Relation Officer, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tin Can Chapter, Onome Omije, the server had been completely down since Monday, thereby, making cargo clearance very difficult and impossible.
Omije said importers have kept accumulating demurrage and storage charges on their consignments, adding that the frequent server breakdown is one of the causes of port congestion.
“We have been idle since yesterday; we can’t do any job because Customs cannot release any job. There is no server to log on to for the job to be released.
“With no service today, consignments that are supposed to be delivered today will not and we will have to start paying demurrage. The money that is supposed to be used for another job will still be used on a job,” she said.
Also speaking to our correspondent the National cordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), Osita Chukwu, also condemned the constant server breakdown.