[Digital Business Africa] – After the customs services of Benin, the customs services of Nigeria are also interested in the Cameroon experience in the management and digitization of customs operations. A delegation of about fifteen experts from the Nigerian Customs Service, led by Mr. BA ADEYINI, Comptroller at the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), carried out on July 16, 2019 an impregnation visit to the Port Authority of Douala to inquire about methods of scanning containers.
The impregnation visit of this delegation of the newly promoted Nigerian Customs Officers of NCS is part of the internal training of NCS agents on Customs best practices and on the facilitation of customs operations developed in WCO member countries such as Cameroon.
According to BA ADEYINI, the objective of this mission in Douala was to draw inspiration from Cameroon in the implementation, management and operation of portal scanners, including the selectivity of high-risk containers and above all the entire organization of the Customs administration.
Mr. Divine TANTOH, Inspector Principal of Customs, who represented the Director General of the Cameroonian Customs and the Chief of the Customs Littoral 1 sector, during this visit, indicated that the Minister of Finance validated this visit of 15 officials of the Nigerian Customs Services so that they can draw on the experience of the Cameroon Customs in this area.
He further stated that the Director General of the Cameroon Customs has specifically requested that all stakeholders concern to kindly provide the delegation, in accordance with the established timetable, a framework that would enable them to acquire added value in the performance of their duties and enhance the brand image of the Cameroon Customs administration as the first country in 100% Scanning operations implementation.
Cameroon, first African country to deploy 100% Scanning
With the partnership of SGS, Cameroon has been since 06 December 2016 the first African country to implement 100% Scanning technology for its port operations, using high-speed scanning equipment for all imports, exports and transits at the Douala International Terminal (DIT). This makes DIT/PAD the first non-automated African port to deploy 100% Scanning, scanning 100% of containers.
Through this system, SGS has worked to redesign the digitization process of the customs services in order to integrate it correctly into the operations of the terminal. The 100% Scanning technology implemented allows the integration of image analysis by the inspectors, front-line customs with documentary verification of the declaration and supporting documents, data sharing through a single platform (SGS D-TECT) that provides real-time images to customs services.
The Nigerian delegation therefore visited PAPMOD Scanner sites (Customs Modernization Support Program). After the visit of these facilities, the presentation of the processes of the scanners and the presentation of the key role of SGS, customs technical partner of Cameroon, a brief meeting was organized to answer the various questions of the delegation. Eugene ABLORH, Cameroon’s Scanner Manager, has responded to the various questions and concerns of experts from Nigeria with some key facts :
- 100% scanning on imports and exports
- 200,000 scanned containers per year
- 50,000 containers handled each quarter
- More than 16,500 to 17,000 containers in one month for combined imports and exports
- Advanced technology with a capacity of 150 containers per hour by scanner
- Capacity of the three scanners: 450 containers scanned per hour
- Significant reduction of physical controls of containers thanks to the SGS D-TECT system that renders the X-ray image in real time to Cameroon Customs
At the end of this visit, impressed, A. ADEYINI said he was “very satisfied with the explanations given to them about 100% Scanning”. He also indicated that they support the implementation of these technologies in Nigeria. In particular, he indicated that they will draw a complete report to the Nigerian authorities on the Cameroonian experience in the implementation of this 100% Scanning technology associated with the SGS D-TECT system successfully implemented by SGS.
By Digital Business Africa
0 Comments