Customs Generates N203bn In The First Half Of 2019, Intercepts 29 Containers At Apapa Port

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N203 billion in the first half of 2019, up from N176.7 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2018.

The amount generated represents 54.5 percent of the Command’s annual revenue target, which stood at N372.5 billion and a monthly target of 31.046 billion.

Controller of the Command, Comptroller Muhammed Abba- Kura, who gave the figures while addressing newsmen on Tuesday, said the Command also achieved high level of compliance on export, as it recorded a total of 95,229.15 metric tons of exported goods mainly agricultural produce with Free on Board (FOB) value of N14.3 billion.

According to him, “The sustained success recorded in the command’s revenue profile could be attributed to strict adherence to professionalism through sensitization of officers as their responsibilities and working in line with the standard operational procedures for optimal revenue collection.

“Periodic stakeholders’ engagement, open door policy, prompt resolution of disputes by the dispute resolution committee as well as maintaining synergy and collaboration with other sister agencies also contributed to the command’s increased revenue profile.”

On anti-smuggling, Abba-Kura said the command seized 29 containers of various items that contravened import procedures with a duty paid value of N418 million.

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Among the items seized are two units of 40-feet containers of rice with 2,080 bags of 25 kg each falsely declared as wood processing machine.

“This is entirely a false declaration and the laws are very clear about this. False declaration is outright seizure. The importer gave a different declaration in order to have his way. May be because if he declare it as rice, it will raise an eye brow, so he decided to give it a different name.

“Rice is not banned through the seaport but maybe because he is going to have some issues on his Form M not to be approved, he decided to call it a different name. So it is after the declaration and our profiling that we were able to track it,” he said.

The Customs Controller said a suspect has been arrested while investigation is ongoing to arrest others involved in the importation of the rice consignment.

Other seized items include tomato paste, vegetable oil, armoured glasses without end user certificate, drilling pipes labelled in foreign language, tramadol and other drugs.

While assuring that the command would facilitate legitimate and compliant trade, Abba-Kura said that the command would also continue to build on the capacity programmes for both officers and stakeholders to acquaint them with modern trends, government fiscal policies and Customs operating system.