Customs urges couriers to address parcel delays

The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Area Command, has appealed to courier company managements to take proactive measures to address challenges associated with the unnecessary delays of imported parcels before they are presented to Customs for assessment.

The newly deployed Acting Customs Area Controller in charge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Area Command, Jacob Onale, a Deputy Controller of Customs, stated this during a familiarisation tour of courier services and private hangars, according to a statement on Friday.

The tour, which took place on Thursday, commenced at ARAMEX, where the Country Manager, Mr Faisal Jarmakani, received the Acting Controller and his entourage and conducted them around the facility.

The visit underscored Onale’s commitment to strengthening stakeholder engagement, boosting revenue generation and facilitating legitimate trade.

The familiarisation exercise reflects the Acting CAC’s commitment to proactive leadership, effective stakeholder relations, improved working conditions for officers and men of the command, enhanced revenue generation, and the facilitation of legitimate trade in line with existing laws and regulations.

Speaking during the visit, Onale expressed satisfaction with the warm reception, cooperation, and willingness of the stakeholders to support his administration and comply with the relevant laws and regulations.

He also appreciated the cooperation extended to the officers of the Command working within the various facilities.

Onale urged some of the operators to improve the working conditions of the Customs officers deployed to their facilities, particularly by ensuring that their offices are conducive and habitable for effective service delivery.

Responding to the operational challenges highlighted by the courier staff, Onale pledged to make every effort to address their concerns, noting that issues outside his jurisdiction would be referred to the headquarters for necessary action.

He also appealed to courier company management to take proactive measures to address challenges associated with the unnecessary delays of imported parcels before they are presented to Customs for assessment.

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The CAC stressed the need for compliance to ensure speedy processing for seamless trade facilitation.

During the engagements, the management representatives of the courier companies expressed their appreciation for the visit and pledged their commitment to working closely with the new CAC.

They also assured him of their continued support in complying with the extant laws and regulations, with a view to supporting revenue generation, improving compliance, and facilitating legitimate trade.

The familiarisation tour ended with visits to private hangar operators, beginning with ExecuJet at Legend, followed by Nest Aviation and, finally, Afrijet.

The visits provided further opportunities for engagement with stakeholders in the private aviation sector and highlighted the CAC’s determination to strengthen collaboration and improve operational oversight.

The visit was aimed at gaining first-hand knowledge of their operations, identifying operational challenges, and strengthening working relationships with critical stakeholders.

During the visit, the Acting CAC was briefed on the company’s operational procedures and the challenges confronting its activities.

The familiarisation tour subsequently continued to UPS, FedEx, DHL, and NIPOST, where Onale interacted with courier service staff and the Customs officers deployed to the facilities.

These engagements provided an opportunity for Onale to hear directly from officers and staff of the courier services about the challenges affecting their operations, particularly those associated with the recently adopted Unified Customs Clearance System (B’odogwu).