Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) is to tackle the challenges of under declaration of goods coming into the country’s economy from this year through a security application called Cargo Tracking Note.

NSC Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the application had been included in the 2019 budget.

“The most important thing in the 2019 budget, is the Cargo Tracking Note. It is what will allow Nigeria to know what comes in.

“It is a security app that will be a manifest, that whatever comes into Nigeria is transmitted electronically even at the point of loading.

“This means that there is no under declaration of concealment. It is shocking to know that 80 per cent of the goods coming into Nigeria are under declared.

“In that case, if we apply the Cargo Tracking Note, it serves three purposes. It will increase revenue by Customs, increase revenue for Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) and also by NIMASA and other affiliated agencies.

“Revenues of customs will triple immediately because there is no under declaration. Secondly Nigeria will be abreast of whatever is coming to its shore and there will not be smuggling of dangerous weapons that we have all over the country now,’’ Bello said.

According to him, the Cargo Tracking Note will serve as data, which is very important for government planning and increase the level of credibility from for prospective investors.

“We hope that this year we will start applying the cargo tracking note and it will ease ways of doing business at the port.

“2019 is a very expectant year with a lot of promises and hope to deliver Jos Inland Dry Port this year and the issue on cargo charges will be addressed.

“NSC is going to be involved in more port operations, for example, we are going to have a supervisory role in the clearance of cargoes. We are going to inspect how cargo is cleared, so that we will monitor the efficiency.’’

He, however, said that the council would strengthen its relationship with security agencies, especially the police, at the port.