By IFEYINWA OBI
APAPA—The Federal Government has withdrawn eight agencies from the ports, in order to streamline the hurdles in clearing processes. Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated this during a facility tour of Apapa Ports, Monday.

She said multiple agencies were responsible for the delay encountered during and before clearing of goods.

Okonjo-Iweala also ordered the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Inde Dikko, to disband the CG Taskforce, noting that it had not helped in speedy clearing of goods.

She said: “We want to reduce the time of clearing goods from weeks to hours. We want to reduce the cost of clearing and also achieve a fast or turn round time.”

The minister also abolished the Cargo Tracking Note,  saying that it also constitutes delay in cargo clearance.

She noted that a monitoring and valuation committee on port activities had been instituted to monitor the operations and activities in all the ports.

The agencies, authorised to be seen in the ports henceforth include; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency,  Nigerian Ports Authority,  Nigerian Custom Service, Immigrations, Police and Port health.

Meanwhile, the Comptroller-General of Customs, who was part of the minister’s entourage immediately ordered  Federal Operations Unit, FOU, of the customs to desisting from mounting guard on the highways.