The European Union has donated two mobile scanners to the Nigeria Customs Service, its Beniniose and Togo counterparts as part of effort to facilitate trading activities at the new Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joint border post at Seme- Krake Badagry.
Disclosing this to journalists in Seme, Controller of the command, Comptroller Muhammed Uba said the scanners which are presently at Cotonue ports will soon arrive the country within in a couple of weeks.
He said all the facilities at the joint border post including the chairs and internet facilities were all donated by the EU, noting that when the border post becomes fully operational, it will boost the command’s revenue profile.
He said, “The border post is built by the European Union but managed by ECOWAS. So everything here is provided by the EU including the chairs. The issue of scanners and other electronic devices will also be provided by them. I wish to bring it to your notice that two scanners have arrived and they are in Cotonue port. One belongs to Seme Krake border post and the other one belongs to Togo.
“The border post will improve our revenue generation by way of exchange of information, sensitization and will we be working together along with the Benin counterpart to make sure that the porosity of the old system is minimize to the barest minimum.
Comptroller Uba said the customs still operates the old scanning machine but subject goods to physical examination when in doubt of scanned image.
“We have our scanning machine in the old border post which will continue to use to making sure that goods not allowed are prevented from entering. Goods that are meant to pay duty are the ones strictly allowed and scanned by the machine. Any doubt about the image of what is being scanned; such goods will be subjected to physical examination.