The Federal Government has given the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) a revenue target of N1.5 trillion for year 2020, but the Comptroller-General of Customs of Customs, Hameed Ali, has reportedly raised the target to N2 trillion.
A spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Tony Orilade, disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Orilade quoted the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt, Comptroller M. B Boyi, of disclosing this during a courtesy visit to the Command by the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the EFCC, Usman Imam.
According to Orilade, the NCS sought collaboration with the EFCC to assist it in realising the 2020 revenue target handed to it by the Federal Government.
“While the Federal Government gave the Service a revenue target of N1.5 trillion for 2020, the agency has a more ambitious projection of N2 trillion. Last year, government gave us a revenue target of N1 trillion, but we delivered N1.3 trillion.
“This year, N1.5 trillion is the target. But instead of N1.5 trillion, the management said we should make it N2 trillion. We will do what we could to meet our target in this Command. This collaboration will help us. Where we have challenges, we will call on you,” Boyi reportedly said.
The Controller said Customs’ collaboration with the EFCC was inevitable, as both agencies have shared interest to further national economic growth, peace and security.
He requested for close collaboration between the EFCC Zonal Office and the Customs at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, as well as regular exchange of intelligence and exposure to capacity development opportunities.
Boyi, however, commended the impact of the EFCC, which he says, bellies its relative young age.
In his remarks, Imam, who was accompanied on the visit by his deputy, Babashani Umar Sanda; Umar Bello of the Procurement Fraud Section; Shola Olowonihi of the Capital Market Fraud Section and Daniel Anozia of the Advance Fraud Section, commended the history of collaboration between the EFCC and the Nigeria Customs Service.
While emphasising EFCC’s role in assisting the Customs to meet its revenue projections through joint exercises in Lagos and Port Harcourt, the Zonal Head observed that Customs has helped the EFCC in fighting money laundering, being the major arresting agency in cases of under-declaration at the port.
“This is why I said I cannot rest until I have established proper contact with one of our key stakeholders. My goal is to see how we can improve on the existing relationship,” he said.
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