The Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has collected a total of one hundred and thirty-six billion, three hundred and forty-four million, six hundred and nineteen thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven Naira, eighty-nine Kobo (N136, 344, 619, 137. 89) from 1st of January, 2017 to 30th of May, 2017.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Mohammed Jibrin who made this known in a press briefing held at the command in Apapa, Lagos, Wednesday disclosed that the figure represented a 38.78% increase over the corresponding period last year.
According to Jibrin, the command within the corresponding period in 2016 collected a total of ninety-eight billion, one hundred and seventy-one million, two hundred and six thousand, three hundred and ninety-eight Naira (N98, 171, 206, 398. 00) which he said represented a significant increase of thirty-eight billion, seventy three million, four hundred and twelve thousand, seven hundred and thirty-nine Naira, eighty-nine Kobo (N38, 073, 412, 739. 89).
“This is an unprecedented feat in view of the present downturn of the economy with its myriads of challenges. You will also appreciate this landmark achievement better when compared with the performance of the command within the same period in the previous year. It is instructive to note that the command surpassed her revenue target for May, 2017 due mainly to proactive measures put in place through extraction of diligence and commitment from officers.
“It is worthy of note on my assumption of office, I made it clear that value addition must be a propelling force for me and my management team. This implies that we all must be committed to adding value that will leave the command progressively better each day. This principle over time has been internalized by officers and men of the command hence a total sum of one billion, eight hundred and twenty-four million, sixty-eight thousand, eight hundred and seven Naira (N1, 824, 068, 807. 00) was recovered from infractions identified and treated within the period under review”, Jibrin stated.
The customs boss reiterated that the command would continue to intensify its efforts at blocking all revenue leakages in order to sustain and build on the result.
On anti-smuggling and enforcement activities, the Comptroller hinted that the command’s enforcement unit effected a total of 24 detentions which included containers of different items such as frozen fish, medicaments, pharmaceuticals amongst other general goods.
He said,” The offences for which arrests were made ranged from under invoicing, wrong classification/declaration, prohibition and under payments among others. We have also intercepted and detained some export containers of scrap metals, wet blue (leather) and unprocessed wood which falls under export prohibition under the extant laws. Investigations are ongoing and sanctions will be applied in line with extant laws. However, the seized pharmaceuticals will be handed over to NAFDAC for further necessary action”.
The Controller called on all prospective exporters of made in Nigeria products and other raw materials to come to the command for their exports adding that the command was ready more than ever before to facilitate export trade considering the economic state and the federal government’s efforts at diversifying the economy through encouragement of exportation of agricultural products.
He therefore assured exporters of maximum cooperation and optimum trade facilitation as they improve their compliance level to the stipulated regulations and documentation procedures.
On trade facilitation, he quipped,” I want to use this medium to inform all stakeholders that the Apapa Area command has in line with the federal government’s directive on ease of doing business in Nigeria initiative created a functional customs examination centre within the APMT. This serves as a coordinating centre for all the stakeholders in cargo examination at the Apapa port. This centre is headed by an Assistant Comptroller of Customs who coordinates a team of ICT compliant officers. I have already held a meeting with all the critical agencies where we rubbed minds on the smooth operation of the centre and they are already keying into the project. The system will continue to be perfected as the project progresses with intention to reduce human contact as well as time spent on cargo clearance”.
He maintained that making a clarion call in the spirit of patriotism on need for voluntary compliance to government fiscal policies by all stakeholders in the export/import business necessitated several meetings held with different groups with the intent of engaging them in crucial discussions which intended to get all interest groups remain on the same page.
He therefore appealed to all stakeholders to come out clean, employ patriotic zeal to do the right thing in all their documentations and other clearance procedures in order to have a seamless trade facilitation process in the command.
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