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Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, has disclosed that his agency is ready to automate its payment collection processes for greater efficiency and eliminate revenue leakages.
Peterside noted that the current practice is being reviewed to ensure greater efficiency.
He made this known when he hosted representatives of major shipping companies operating in Nigeria under the auspices of the Shipping Association of Nigeria.
The NIMASA boss also assured the delegation that the agency would institute more transparent ways of calculating the three percent levy charged on all inbound and outbound cargo.
He said, “We are automating our payment platform in line with our strategic growth plan to ensure greater efficiency in the payment process.
“The new process will be integrated with similar platforms of sister agencies in order to correctly ascertain levies chargeable per freight and eliminate the bottlenecks currently being experienced,” the DG added.
He also told the delegation that the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, would soon launch a high capacity satellite system to assist the military in dealing with maritime crimes.
Peterside urged the shipping companies to support the agency’s capacity building programme by providing sea time experience for cadets sponsored under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Representatives of the shipping companies, who had earlier raised the issue of maritime security and payment procedures, also commended the DG for his commitment in dealing with the issues raised.
The Shipping Association promised to support the capacity building initiatives of the agency by providing the requisite sea time experience for the NSDP cadets
Some of the shipping companies represented at the meeting include Grimaldi, Maersk, GAC, Hull Blyth, Mediterranean, PIL and Comet Shipping.
