Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) confirmed that the on-line real time system payment system in Nigeria’s seaport is bound to reduce the waiting time of ships.
Apart from this, NPA said that it would deter any possible revenue leageages as well as crashing the cost of doing business.
Developed by Interswitch, this e-Payment system enables stakeholders and other port users to pay for shipping charges, levies and even fines online real time either from the comfort of their offices or at any branch of banks operating in the country.
Using this payment platform any payment for shipping services for any of the nation’s seaports is transmitted immediately to the Chief Port Accountant, who also immediately alerts the Port Manager for the service to be discharged.
Managing of Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, said that the current management had been worried over the poor payment system at the ports, which he said does not reflect current realities in the global shipping business.
“We have therefore responded with a solution that guarantees multiple payment cannels and reduces reconciliation challenges to the barest minimum,” he said. “The management therefore unveiled the following broad initiatives to deliver our vision for the overall transformation of the Nigerian port industry.”
The Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NPA and the initiator of the scheme, Olumide Oduntan disclosed that the current NPA management on assumption of office identified the three pillars that are critical to transformation of port operations as human resources, technology and process.
“ Before now, when payment is made it takes between three to four days for it to be confirmed because it has to be taken to the headquarters by customers and the headquarters will now send it through courier to the ports. The new system will eliminate that process as payments will now be confirmed as soon as it is made on same day,” he said.