The Federal Government has directed all relevant ministries,
departments and agencies operating at the nation’s airports and seaports
to harmonise their operations into a single interface station.
While those at the airports have 30 days to merge, those operating at seaports must do so within 60 days.
This
is one of the highlights of an ‘Executive Order on the Promotion of
Transparency and Efficiency in the Business Environment’ signed by the
Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday.
By the order, the Apapa Port is expected to resume 24-hour operations within 30 days.
The
order read, “All relevant MDAs at the airports shall within 30 days of
the issuance of this order merge their respective departure and arrival
interfaces into a single customer interface, without prejudice to
necessary back-end procedures.
“All agencies currently physically
present in Nigerian ports shall within 60 days harmonise their
operations into one single interface station domiciled in one location
in the port and implemented by a single joint task force at all times,
without prejudice to necessary backend procedures.
“The new single
interface station at each port shall capture, track and record
information on all goods arriving and departing from Nigeria, and remit
captured information to the head of the MDA and the head of the National
Bureau of Statistics on a weekly basis.
“Each port in Nigeria
shall assign an existing export terminal to be dedicated to the
exportation of agriculture produce within 30 days of the issuance of
this order.
“The Apapa Port shall resume 24-hour operations within 30 days of the issuance of this order.”
The order also outlawed touting and bribe-taking by official or unofficial persons at any port in Nigeria.
Any
official caught soliciting or receiving bribes from passengers or other
port users, according to the order, shall be subject to immediate
removal from post and disciplinary as well as criminal proceedings in
line with extant laws and regulations.
The Registrar-General of
the Corporate Affairs Commission is also expected to within 14 days of
the issuance of the order ensure that all registration processes at the
CAC are fully automated through the agency’s website from the start of
an application process to completion, including ensuring the
availability of an online payment platform where necessary.
According
to the Executive Order on Budgets, all agencies, whether listed or not
listed in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, shall, on or before the end of
May every year, cause to be prepared and submitted to the Minister of
Finance and the Minister of Budget and National Planning their schedule
of revenue and expenditure estimates for the next three financial years.
They
are also expected to, on or before the end of July every year, cause to
be prepared and submitted to the two ministers their annual budget
estimates, which shall be derived from the estimates of revenue and
expenditure as projected in their three-year schedule.
It stated, “A joint committee of the ministries of Finance, and the
Budget and National Planning shall review such estimates and ensure
their conformity with the national plan and the financial and budgetary
regulations before processing them for approval and early transmission
to the National Assembly.
“Supervising ministers and heads of
agencies as well as the chief executive officers of government-owned
companies shall verify that the processes of preparation, harmonisation
and collation of budget estimates are as stipulated in relevant laws and
guidelines as well as ensure strict compliance with this Executive
Order.
“Except with the express consent of the President, no
payment shall be made in respect of any capital or recurrent liability
of an agency, other than payment of due salaries and allowances, unless
the agency has an approved budget and the payment is in conformity with
the approval.
“Heads of agencies and chief executive officers of
government-owned companies shall take personal responsibility and be
subject to appropriate sanctions for any failure to comply with this
Order.
“Any revenue or other funds of an agency in excess of the
amounts budgeted and duly expended shall accrue to the Consolidated
Revenue Fund of the Federal Government.”
According to the third
Executive Order, which is on support for local content in public
procurement by the Federal Government, all MDAs have been directed to
grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers
in their procurement of goods and services.
The order stipulates
that any document issued by any MDA for the solicitation of offers,
bids, proposals or quotations for the supply or provision of goods and
services shall expressly indicate the preference to be granted to
domestic manufacturers, contractors and service providers, and the
information required to establish the eligibility of a bid for such
preference.
The order read, “All solicitation documents shall
require bidders or potential manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and
consultants to provide a verifiable statement on the local content of
the goods or services to be provided
“Made-in-Nigeria products
shall be given preference in the procurement of the following items and
at least 40 per cent of the procurement expenditure on these items in
all MDAs of the FGN shall be locally manufactured goods or local service
providers: a. Uniforms and footwear; b. Food and beverages; c.
Furniture and fittings; d. Stationery; e. Motor vehicles; f.
Pharmaceuticals; g. Construction materials; and Information and
Communication Technology.”
The order requires that within 90 days,
the heads of all MDAs shall assess the monitoring, enforcement,
implementation and compliance with the Executive Order and local content
stipulations in the Public Procurement Act, or any other relevant Act
within their agencies; propose policies to ensure that the Federal
Government’s procurement of goods and services maximises the use of
goods manufactured locally and services provided by Nigerian citizens
doing business as sole proprietors, firms, or companies held wholly by
them or in the majority; and submit such findings to the Minister of
Industry, Trade and Investment.
