…Collects over N117.8bn as revenue between January and April
The Tincan Island command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has beefed up its trade facilitation process with the deployment of the Time Release Study tool for strategic planning in determining the actual time required for the release and clearance of goods from the time of arrival to physical release from customs control.
This among other measures was confirmed by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Musa Baba Abdullahi in a chat with some stakeholders in his office recently.
The CAC recalled that Time Release Study (TRS) is a strategic tool that is capable of identifying bottlenecks in the trade value chain and creating an enabling environment for effective and efficiency in operations.
According to him, it was on the strength of this and other parameters that the command generated a total of one hundred and seventeen billion, eight hundred and thirty-nine million, four hundred and eighteen thousand, three hundred and thirty-two Naira and sixteen Kobo (N117, 839,418,332.16) between January and April, 2020 despite the global pandemic which has posed a great challenge.
The figure according the CAC, the figure is against the sum of one hundred and six billion, six hundred and forty-four million, six hundred and forty-three thousand, nine hundred and seventeen Naira and twenty-five Kobo (N106,644,643,917.25) collected the same period in 2019, reflecting a difference of eleven billion, one hundred and ninety-four million, seven hundred and seventy-four thousand, four hundred and fourteen thousand Naira and ninety-one Kobo (N11, 194,774,414.91).
While responding to issues bothering on challenges amidst the Covid-19, the Controller reiterated the readiness of the command to ensure adherence and compliance with the extant protocols by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organization towards containing the spread of the virus.
He disclosed that prior to the declaration of the virus as a pandemic disease, the command had conducted series of seminars and awareness campaigns targeted at sensitizing the officers and men of the command as well as the stakeholders on measures to adopt in dealing with the menace. The measures according to the CAC would be sustained even after the Covid-19 era.
“Even at the onset of this pandemic, when pressure, anxiety and general apprehension was the order of the day, the command demonstrated resilience, sagacity and compassion in its approach to the novel pandemic such that tension was reduced from the psyche of the operatives, with confidence inspired that enabled them to attend to their functions without let or hindrance.
“With this pandemic, the command will upscale her sensitization on the need for Nigerians to fully take advantage of the operations in Export trade, especially at this moment when it has become compelling for diversification of the economy for national development.
“We use this medium to remind Nigerians to cease the opportunity of the numerous incentives by the federal government in the area of export to draw and attract the consciousness of Nigerians to the advantages in export trade”, he said.
“With the Time Release Study tool, we have generated statistical data on the actual time declarations were made up till the time of release from customs’ control. It is on the basis of this that the command realized that the Nigeria Customs service is only involved in two major functions in trade value chain (Examination and Release of cargo) from customs’ control. The unwavering commitment of the command necessitated the need to work assiduously towards ensuring that all operational bottlenecks are removed from the trade value chain for effectiveness and efficiency in accordance with global standards”, the CAC added.
Abdullahi noted that the command would continue to support and encourage the culture of compliance with fiscal and monetary policies while also rewarding compliant traders saying, “we have developed a framework and different layers of channeling of official complaints including the Help Desk for speedy resolution of trade disputes.”
He pointed out that efforts were also being made to ensure continuous stakeholders’ engagement and collaboration for the actualization of the joint responsibilities of creating a friendly business environment that would encourage trade and investments as well as boost the morale of the stakeholders.
Speaking further, the CAC noted that in spite of the few challenges militating against the performance, he pointed out that the command would not let its guards down in the pursuance of its official mandate.
He appreciated the support and the counsels from the customs management led by Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) and his management while also applauding the renewed enthusiasm of the officers and men of the command which is evidenced in the operational profile of the command.
The CAC equally eulogized the heads of security and regulatory agencies in the port for their consistent efforts at supporting the command in realizing its statutory mandate even as he commended the maritime media both eth print, electronics and online for their quality reportage of the happenings in the sector.
He further thanked the stakeholders for their continuous engagement with the command and requested the strengthening of the collaboration.
Photo: The Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Port command, Comtroller Musa Baba Abdullahi.
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