By Jimitota Onoyume
The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, and the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, are committed to working together for improved service delivery to clients in the nation’s free trade zones, authorities of both agencies of government have said.

Addressing a joint stakeholders’ forum of the two agencies in Onne, Rivers State, organised to fine-tune a pathway to better service delivery in the free zones, the Managing Director of OGFZA, Mr. Umana Umana and the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), said their agencies were united by the collective objective of delivering best-in-class services to investors in the free zones in line with the Ease of Doing Business policy of the Federal Government.

Umana added: “This conference is jointly hosted by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority and the Nigeria Customs Service to underscore the fact that the Ease of Doing Business initiative is a national policy under one government, by which fact all relevant agencies of government are to work together in implementing the policy to deliver efficient services to the investor.

“That is both the letter and spirit of the policy, whose urgency has been reinforced by the Executive Orders issued by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.”

In his remarks, Col. Ali, Comptroller-General of Customs, declared that the service was committed to working with OGFZA for the good of the nation.

“We recognise the need to work with you in our match towards evolving an efficient and responsive service,” he added.

He explained that full engagement with all stakeholders in the oil and gas trade is a requirement for success of the industry.