As part of effort to enhance ease of doing business in Nigerian, Federal Government is to commence the implementation of the 2017 Revised Import and Export Guidelines in January 2018.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun said at a sensitization workshop on the 2017 Revised Import and Export Guidelines in Lagos, added that imports already prepared for shipment into the country were not affected by the new policy.
Nigeria moved to the 145th position out of the 190 countries in the World Bank’s ease of Doing Business Index for 2018.
According to a statement by Director of Information, Salisu Na’inna Dambatta, the new policy is mandatory for both imports and exports to be palletinised in containers as done globally.
Mrs. Adeosun, who was represented by Director of Home Finance Department in the Ministry, Mrs Olubunmi Siyanbola, explained that the date was fixed after due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Mrs Adeosun said the government is working on ways of reducing the time spent on processing of exports, ensure 24 hours clearance of imported cargoes and block leakages of revenue accruable to the government.
She said the Government has started adopting several measures to improve trading across the country’s border. According to her, “reduction of documentation requirements from ten to seven days for exports; and from fourteen to eight days for imports,” are some of the measures being adopted to address the drawbacks in trade across the country’s borders.
She said additional responsibilities have also been given to the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Ports Authority and sanctions have been introduced to enforce compliance.
