The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has scored the nation's scanner providers high, highlighting that the dedication of the three service providers were not unconnected with the Customs overall revenue surge, which in this year, has crossed the half a trillion Naira mark.The Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi made the observation before a 12-man House of Representative ad-hoc Committee led by Deputy House Leader, Leo Okuweh Ogor, seeking to be briefed on maritime operations, particularly the single-window contract, as part of the law makers' fact finding mission.Pointing out that the synergy between the Customs Service and the core service providers had worked, the Customs boss noted that the collaboration had resulted in a significant boost for capacity development of the Service, adding that the Customs had not rested on them, but had further intensified the training of it's personnel, in other areas, including leadership development, all in a bid to evolve a modern outfit able to meet the challenges of the millennium.Providing their own account of stewardship, the giant scanner-providers who were currently driving the machinery for a functional operation of the nation's destination inspection of goods under the Comprehensive Imports Supervision Scheme (CISS), said they were not only putting in their best, but also working towards a successful hand over of their equipment to the Customs, as the January 2013 handover date draws closer.The companies, the Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited, led by its Managing Director, Tayo Rabiu; Fred Udechukwu of Globalscan Systems Limited, and Nigel Balchin, Chief Executive Officer of Societte-Generale du Surveillance (SGS), while shedding light on core operations, told the 12-man House of Representative ad-hoc Committee which conducted a week-long public hearing on 'Single Window' contract that they had performed exceptionally well, in view of the prevailing business environment in the country, stressing that despite observed initial hiccups in the industry, the international trade had been the better for it.The ad-hoc Committee actually invited the service providers to enlighten the law makers on the Single Window project as well as the contract performance of their respective organizations and their readiness to hand over to the Nigeria Customs Service by January 2013.It will be recalled that Destination Inspection DI regime commenced in January 2006 under a Build- Own-Operate (and)-Transfer (BOOT) arrangement for a period of seven years, under a term of agreement that the relevant firms would among other things, deploy a Computerised Risk Management System (CRMS), provide a Data Base for Price, carry out Customs valuation and classification of goods, installed Scanners at designated ports of entries, carry out physical examination of goods in conjunction with Customs officers when necessary, as well train and build capacity and of Customs officers, who would later take over the project.Consequently, Cotecna, as an organisation, has successfully installed a 9.0 MeV Fixed Dual view scanner, and a 3.8 MeV Mobile scanner at Apapa port in Lagos; alongside three other scanners at the Tin-Can Island Port; a 9.0 Mev Fixed Dual View Scanner; a 3.8 MeV Mobile Scanner in Ashaye Terminal; and a 3.8 Mev Mobile Scanner at the RORO Terminal of the port.The company was also said to have installed a 145-180 Hi-Scan Pallet Scanner each, at both the Abuja and Kano International Airport, while it dispatched to Jibiya, a land border area, a 3.8 mev Mobile scanner with a fully completed office complex, while another scanner with similar capacity in Banki, another land border may soon be commissioned.
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