The introduction of the National Single Window (NSW) by the federal government has sparked discussions on its intended purpose and potential impact on port operations.

The federal government projected that the NSW could boost revenue by at least $30 billion annually. However, President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero in an exclusive interview with The Nation, argued that a single window should not be seen as a revenue tool but as a “trade facilitation mechanism” that indirectly improves revenue through efficiency.

“Single window is not for revenue; it is for transactions. If you want to talk about revenue, you need an integrated revenue system. But when you facilitate trade, it makes revenue generation faster by reducing the cost of doing business.”

According to the leading expert in trade facilitation and customs procedures, the primary goal of a single window system is transaction efficiency and trade facilitation, not revenue generation.

He described the NSW as an initiative that should facilitate a “one-stop-shop transaction”, where all trade-related agencies, including the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and others, function under a single harmonised system.

https://thenationonlineng.net/expert-cautions-on-implementation-of-single-clearing-window/amp/