The Apapa Area one Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has said that the teething problem associated with the Pre Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) was gradually coming to an end even as it disclosed that a total of 28,861,000 (twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-one PAARs has been released in the month of April .
The command also said it has raked in a whooping N22,132,876,041.87 ( twenty-two billion, one hundred and thirty-two million, eight hundred and seventy-six thousand, forty-one Naira,eighty-seven kobo) from 1st to 28th of April, 2014.
The Customs Area Controller of the Command , Comptroller Charles Edike disclosed this during a roundtable meeting with journalists under the auspices of Maritime Correspondents’ Organization of Nigeria (MARCON) in Lagos Tuesday.
According to the Area Controller, the command revenue collection on a daily basis has been impressive attributing the improvement to technological advancement and dedication of the officers and men of the command.
The Apapa command boss reiterated that on a daily basis, the command has been generating above a billion naira which he described as a huge addition to the impressive revenue collection of the service.
Edike reiterated that the service is rolling out PAAR smoothly at the moment pointing out that the teething problems of the PAAR regime is almost a thing of the past.
The Controller said that from April 1st to 28th, the command has issued out a total of 28, 861,000 PAARs as against what the service providers have issued when put together adding that the officers are highly compliant with the latest technological innovation.
The comptroller said” initially when we were dealing with the 99,000 form M that were not perfected by the service providers alone is enormous task for us and when you add that the teething problem of PAAR itself then you will agree with me that, certainly you will understand the kind of challenge the service will be faced with”,
“We are happy that PAAR is coming out beautifully and I must say that we are coming out of the storm gradually and as we speak PAAR is now been transmitted with ease, PAAR is rolling out smoothly and before the importer gets home after processing his form M”, the PAAR will be ready before that same night” Edike stated.
He also said that the service was serving the entire nation , sub region and neighbouring countries as regards import because the Nigerian market was not for the country alone but for other neighbouring states, even as far as centre Africa.
Edike revealed that the backlog encountered by the command has been resolved saying that technological input before now was the major problem faced by the command.
