Monrovia, Liberia — The President of the National Customs Brokers Association of Liberia, James Lawrence Hinneh, has described Liberia’s newly constructed destination inspection facility as a major step toward modernizing the country’s customs operations, improving cargo clearance and reducing the logistical challenges confronting importers and businesses.
Hinneh made the remarks following a stakeholders’ engagement and inspection tour of the facility, where participants assessed ongoing challenges within Liberia’s customs and port operations, including border security, cargo processing and delays in the movement of imported goods.
As part of the exercise, the delegation also visited the APM Terminals at the Freeport of Monrovia, where they observed operational constraints, including congestion, limited parking capacity, loading challenges and delays affecting cargo handling.
According to Hinneh, the assessment provided the association with firsthand information about the difficulties confronting customs brokers, importers and other stakeholders, strengthening its ability to advocate for practical reforms within the sector.
He said the newly constructed destination inspection facility represents an important development for Liberia’s trade and logistics industry, particularly because of its proposed one-stop-shop arrangement.
Under the arrangement, key service providers and relevant government institutions, including customs officials, shipping lines, commercial service providers and trucking operators, are expected to operate within the same facility.
Hinneh explained that bringing these services together would reduce the need for importers and customs brokers to travel between different locations to complete clearance procedures, potentially saving time and lowering operational costs.
He expressed confidence that the facility could improve business turnaround time and cargo delivery by more than 100 percent, although the actual impact will depend on its effective operation.
“This facility is going to be a game changer for the sector,” Hinneh said, welcoming the progress made toward completing a project the association has advocated for over the years.
Beyond improving institutional efficiency, the association president highlighted the potential benefits for small-scale importers who frequently combine their resources to bring goods into Liberia through shared shipping containers.
He explained that under existing arrangements, individuals importing only a few cartons of goods can face additional financial pressure when sharing containers because terminal charges and related expenses may have to be settled before their individual consignments are released.
Hinneh believes the new facility could help address some of these difficulties and create a more convenient environment for small businesses and individual importers.
He further noted that the association has long pushed for improved customs infrastructure, arguing that previous service arrangements did not leave behind comparable physical infrastructure despite operating in Liberia for more than two decades.
He welcomed the role of MTS in bringing the project closer to completion and expressed hope that the facility would remain a valuable national asset after the company’s contractual engagement ends and the infrastructure is handed over to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
Drawing comparisons with other destination inspection facilities in the West African region, Hinneh said the new Liberian facility appeared more advanced than one he had visited at Apapa Port in Lagos, Nigeria.
He described the development as an encouraging sign of Liberia’s potential to strengthen its capacity in cargo inspection, shipment processing and regional trade facilitation.
For the National Customs Brokers Association, Hinneh said the completion and effective operation of the facility would represent progress toward addressing longstanding challenges affecting customs brokers, importers and the wider business community.
He emphasized that efficient customs procedures, improved infrastructure and coordinated services are essential to reducing delays, supporting small businesses and creating a more competitive trade environment in Liberia.
