By Shulammite ‘Foyeku
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service said it collected N350.9billion as import duty between January and December 2017.
The amount represents 99.01 percent of the command’s revenue target for the year.
The command said a total of 244,817 metric tons of exports worth N42.6 billion passed through the port as against 88,115.4 metric tons of export worth N52.5 million that were exported through the port in 2016.
Public relations Officer of the command, Nkiru Nwala, who made this known in statement in Lagos at the weekend, said the amount generated however showed an increase in revenue performance over that of 2016 by N50.9 billion, representing 14.5 percent growth.
She attributed the feat to the leadership style of the Controller of the command, Comptroller Jubril Musa who insisted on the implementation of all strategies devised by the command to block all revenue leakages while enhancing trade facilitation and security.
According to her, other units like the Customs intelligence unit, valuation unit and the post-clearance audit unit also contributed in great measure towards achieving the command’s revenue profile.
On anti smuggling activties, she said the command recorded 24 seizures of various items including containers of frozen fish, medicaments, and pharmaceuticals goods.
“Seven of the detained containers carrying pharmaceuticals have since been handed over to NAFDAC for further investigation and eventual prosecution and three 20-feet containers of wet blue contravened the provisions of schedule 6 of Common External Tariff (CET) were among the seizures.
“Furthermore, the Federal Government through the Comptroller-General of
Customs has approved and allocated the seized frozen fish to Internally Displace Persons (IDP) in Yobe State. The Transport Corp of the Nigerian Army has taken delivery of the fish from the Apapa Customs Command,” she said.
Nwala said the Presidential Order on the Ease of Doing Business in the country, which requires all government agencies to come under the same platform to interface and perform their various duties has further boosted the command’s relationship with sister agencies.
“Stakeholder engagement in the previous year assumed a very high dimension in that, stakeholders now meet with the CAC and his management team on a monthly basis to address issues of common concern. This has greatly reduced delays as stakeholders are now better informed.
“The Comptroller called on all officers of the command to withdraw from all activities that could impede the ease of doing business initiative of the Federal Government.
“He further implored all stakeholders to imbibe the patriotic spirit of total compliance to all government fiscal policies to actualize speedy economic restoration and growth of the nation.
“The CAC is therefore assuring all stakeholders, importers and exporters of guaranteed conducive business environment that will offer them opportunity of experiencing a sincere seamless clearance procedure of all their consignments as long as maximum and total compliance to all extant laws guiding cargo clearance in the ports are observed,” the statement added.
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