The Tincan 2 command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lillypond/Ijora Lagos has said that it has surpassed its first quarter 2017 revenue target by 119%.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Mahmud Dalhat who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the command Wednesday stated that the figure was an improvement over corresponding period in 2016.
Dalhat who put the revenue target for the command in the first quarter of 2016 at N5.72 billion said that the command collected a total of N1, 616, 586, 543.00 (One billion, six hundred and sixteen million, five hundred and eighty-six thousand, five hundred and forty-three naira) representing 28%.
He further stated that having been given a revenue target of N2.67 billion in the first quarter of 2017, the command raked in N3, 184, 657, 089.28 (Three billion, one hundred and eighty-four million, six hundred and fifty-seven thousand, eighty-nine naira, twenty-eight kobo) representing 119%.
A breakdown of the revenue showed that the command collected a total of N349, 075, 728.00 in the month of January, 2016 while a total of 834, 679, 169. 00 was collected in the corresponding period in 2017.
Whereas a total of N605, 488, 789. 00 was collected in February 2016, N919, 684, 828. 28 was collected in the corresponding period in 2017 just as a total of N245, 152, 966. 00 was collected in the month of March 2016, a total of N649, 110, 991. 00 was raked in by the command in the corresponding period in 2017.
Also, the command recorded a total of N416, 870, 060.00 as its revenue for the month of April in the year 2016 while it recorded a total of N781, 182, 101.00 as its revenue for the same period in the year 2017.
According to the CAC,” From January to date, I am really glad to inform you as I have seen, we are really forging ahead despite our challenges that we are facing. Last year, first quarter of the same period like this, we were only able to make about 28% of the revenue target which was about N5.72 billion. So, we were able to make just 28%. This year, that is the first quarter, we were able to meet our target and even surpass it by 119%. So, that to me is a very good start because we are here basically to collect revenue, if there is no revenue, certainly all of us will not be here.
“So, my own concern first and foremost is to collect whatever is collectable, then ensure full compliance to the federal government’s fiscal policy which is as may be announced from time to time”.
The CAC noted that the challenges that the command faced last year especially as it affects transfer, TBL among others still persist urging the licensed customs agents to embark on the sensitization of the critical stakeholders on behalf of the service especially on the part of those that were bringing consignments to the command since they deal directly with them thereby serving as a go between.
“So, if you do not sensitize and actually educate your customers on how to get their consignments to this place, certainly we may be having this serious challenge. From our own calculations, if what we have been doing last year was sustained by you, from my assumptions, what we were able to collect this year would have been over 200% to 300%. I really want to believe that there is more to be done in terms of educating your customers on some of these major operational procedures to get your consignments seamlessly from the point of loading down to us here”, he said.
While appreciating the terminal operators for ensuring that containers meant for the command were duly transferred to the command so that they would boost their revenue, bad roads notwithstanding, he equally appreciated the freight forwarders for contributing to the success the command was making even as he added that they were starting on a very good footing hoping that they would sustain the tempo in the second quarter of the year.
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