Customs Records N1.341tn Revenue
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday announced that it generated the sum of N1,341,690,568,327.18 for the year 2019 as against N1,202,448,733,244.89 generated in 2018, showing an increase of N139,241,835,082.29.
The NCS in a statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Joseph Attah stated that the amount generated is over the target of N937,286,121,586 set for the year 2019.
The Comptroller General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) in the statement said the service achieved the revenue as a result of resolute pursuit of what is right, “rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individual or group interests.
According to him, “the service revenue generation profile has continued to be on the rise annually as the ongoing reforms in the Service insists on: Strategic deployment of officers strictly using the standard operating procedure and strick enforcement of extant guidelines by the tariff and trade department.
Others he added are, “automation of the Customs process thereby eliminating vices associated with the manual process, robust stakeholder sensitisation resulting in more informed/voluntary compliance and increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above selves.”
He added that the partial border closure, which has forced cargoes that could have been smuggled through the porous borders to come through the sea and airports raised revenue collection from ports.
“Before the commencement of the border drill on August 20, 2019, revenue generation was between N4 billion to N5 billion but now NCS generate between N5 billion to N7 billion daily.
“The partial border closure is a decisive action against the challenging issue of trans-border crime and criminalities, fueled by the non-compliance to ECOWAS Protocol on transit of goods by neigbhouring countries.
“The NCS hopes that the ongoing discussions with our neighbours will yield permanent solution to the challenges of border security. The Service wishes to express its readiness to strictly implement the outcome of the ongoing diplomatic engagements,” he stated.