The minster of industry, trade, and investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, has asked the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to double its efforts on trade facilitation.
Uzoka-Anite gave the charge at the launch of the agency’s Time Release Study in Lagos on Thursday.
Launched by the NCS in collaboration with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the report aims at increasing efficiency in Nigerian ports.
Uzoma-Anite said focusing on trade facilitation would also lead to revenue generation for Nigeria.
She said NCS is the only agency in Nigeria saddled with three critical functions namely security, revenue generation, and trade facilitation.
“However as your trade minister, I implore you to double or redouble your efforts in focusing on just trade facilitation. This is because when you facilitate trade, you’re enhancing our trade volume, or you’re making our nation more competitive and then we can generate more revenue without increasing our levies,” she said.
The minister also admonished the agency to fully automate its processes to avoid work hazards that come with border operations.
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