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By Steve Agbota
Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said it generated a total of N366 billion for the half year 2021, which represents 61 per cent increase compared to the N227 billion collected in the first half of 2020.
Speaking at a briefing, Customs Area Controller Apapa Command, Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim, said the revenue was collected between January and June 2021, adding that the command also seized 46 containers during the same period.
According to him, the Command also generated a revenue of N78.4 billion in the month of Jun, which clearly shows an increase of over 90 per cent compared to the N42.4 billion collected in the corresponding month under review.
He added that spectacular achievement was made possible by its officers’ resilience and commitment in ensuring collections of appropriate revenue, robust stakeholders’ engagement and seamless facilitation of compliant trade.
“Nonetheless, our sustained anti-smuggling campaign and the increased level of compliance have resulted in reduction of smuggling activities throughout the command. Thus, for the period under review, the Command recorded 10 seizures of various uncustoms goods such as tomato paste, used clothing, unregistered pharmaceutical drugs, etc. with a Duty Paid Value of N442 million. This unprecedented record is a great validation of our new approach to revenue drive. He emphasised that the volume of revenue has never been recorded in the history of the flagship Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Consequent upon the above and in line with the provision of extant laws, trade guidelines and enforcement of government fiscal policy, the Command was able to strengthen its anti-smuggling operation against economic saboteurs through timely credible intelligence driven network which led to the seizure of 46 containers between January and June 2021 with Duty Paid Value of N27.6 billion.
All these importations are contrary to the provision of sections 46 & 47 of Customs and Excise Management Act CAP C45 LFN 2004 and Customs & Excise Notices No.1491,” he explained.
He said the export statistics of the Command showed that goods worth N272.3 billion have been exported through Apapa port between January and June 2021, adding that these exports include agricultural goods such as sesame seed, ginger, hibiscus flower and other mineral resources.
He said the total tonnage of the said export stood at 1.6 million tones with Free on Board (FOB) value of $103 billion.
