Anna Okon
Stakeholders have sought a revival of the cargo tracking note as a means of curbing corruption and other undesirable practices at the seaports.
The CTN also known as Advance Cargo Declaration System is a global initiative to monitor and verify cargo on transit from port of origin to port of destination.
It is expected to enhance the security functions of government and help the Federal Government realise more than N17bn per annum from all imports into the country.
The CTN was first introduced in Nigeria in 2009 under the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority and was suspended in 2011, following widespread criticisms by stakeholders in the maritime industry.
An importer, Eddy Akwaeze, told our correspondent that the revival of the scheme would restore order to management of cargo in transit, leaving the regulators to concentrate on other cargo categories.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council had earlier indicated a decision to reintroduce the policy to curb importation of dangerous arms and ammunition.
According to the Executive Secretary, NSC, Hassan Bello, the tracking note is a security programme, adding that if it is in operation, there will be no smuggling of arms.
The reintroduction of the scheme has not been implemented and stakeholders say there is a need to hasten the implementation in view of the benefits of the scheme in curbing crime.
Speaking in support of the reintroduction of the scheme, the Assistant Inspector General, Marine Command, Muhammad Kura, said that the scheme would help to curb criminalities.
Speaking during a visit of the management of the NSC, led by the Director, Consumer Affairs Department, Chief Cajetan Agu, to his office, Kura opined that if revived, the CTN had the potential to curb the activities of criminals.
He said the Nigeria Police Force was positioned to fight and reduce, to the barest minimum, the activities of criminals operating anywhere within the coverage area of the marine command.
Speaking earlier, Agu highlighted the council’s role in ensuring ease of doing business in the maritime industry, some of which included freight forwarders rate negotiation, recovering monies from imposed charges and enforcement.
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