Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS) and their counterpart in the Republic of Benin, have kicked off arrangements to establish a joint one-stop border post at the Segbana border in Kebbi State.
The Kebbi Area Controller of NCS, Iheanacho Earnest-Ojike, made the disclosure shortly after a meeting between the NCS and representatives of Benin Republic.
The closed-door meeting was held at Anguwar Sule Wara, a border town in Benin Republic, on Saturday.
While speaking at the end of the meeting, Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi State Area Command, Mr. Ehenacho Ernest Ojike, explained that the discussion, when completed would resolved alot of socio- economy challenges of the two countries.
According to him, ” The meeting was previously held by the government officials of both countries to create modalities to enhance the socio-economy of both Countries. We wanted to kick off the reopening of this border here in Segbana -Serimaja border and what we came here for today has to do with how to put the final leg on the operational modalities on how this border will kick -off.
“And we have agreed that that is, both governments have agreed that one stop- border post will be established. That is what is being practiced international. This is something that would enhancing trade, facilitating trading, ease off a lot of insufficient and bringing alot of things that could not be necessarily thrown away.
“So, one stop border post is what we have agreed on here. And we have, through this discussion, we have been able to applying the procedures to start the operation here. Some of the things we discussed here are that we discussed about the security. How security will be enforced here. So that, we can have discipline and Control border.
“We also talked about logistic. Of course, we all knew that logistics is dealing with the movement of goods and persons from one point to another. We talked about those things that will enhance streamline flow of goods and persons from Nigeria to Benin Republic and vis visa.
“We came out on the modalities to enhance that. We also talked about infrastructure. How infrastructure will be set up here to meet up with the demands of new border post. Our governments will come in. Some operators will also volunteer too to give certain amenities here and we shall appreciated them for assisting the governments because Governments can not do it all.
“We also talked about combating smuggling and frauds which is expected when there is booming economy activities. And we discussed on the modalities on how to checkmate this to a reasonable level.”
Ejike also disclosed that they also discussed the comprehensive operational module which included the usage of a single-entry foam.
He said: “Going by the principle of one border – post, of which both countries are signatories to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Customs Organisation, which has the principle of this one border post.
“We have agreed that we are going to have a single-entry declaration form that both countries we use. There is also going to be a border joint inspection, a joint agencies inspection for goods and persons as the case may be. So, it is going to be a joint point operation.
“The two countries, coming together to examine goods, looks at the persons, the entry form you filled which comes in a single piece. There is no going to be dublication of the form. Anything you want to do,you just go inward side and outside side”, he said.
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