By Musa Ubandawaki (Sokoto State Correspondent)
The Nigeria Customs Service has generated the sum of 1,5 62,115,419,216.32 for the year 2020.
The amount generated has surpassed the target of N1,380,765,353,462.00 over the sum of N0I1,342,006,918,504.55 generated in 2019, despite covid-19 pandemic.
The Controller General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hameed Ali ( Rtd ) while Commenting on this feat in a statement made available to newsmen in Sokoto, described the gesture as a result of the resolute pursuit of what is right and willingness to adapt to changes brought by global health challenges occasioned by covid-19.
The service revenue generation profile, according to the statement, has continued to be on the rise annually as the ongoing reforms in the Service insist on: Strategic deployment of officers procedures, strict enforcement of extant department, and automation of the Customs process thereby eliminating the vices associated with the manual process.
Others are Robust stakeholder sensitization resulting in more informed/voluntary compliance and increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above selves.
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 with seizures that include arms, ammunition, illicit drugs, used clothing, vegetable oil, frozen poultry, and foreign rice, among others that have grave consequences on economic, security and well being of Nigerians.
The statement further stated that the NCS expressed total commitment to the course of protecting national security and economy, and called on Nigerians, especially the business community to support the NCS as our borders open to Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) commenced with a view to benefiting from the trade agreement and other cross border activities.
In a related development, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, DC Joseph Attah, said before the commencement of the border drill on 20th August 2019, that revenue generation was between N4 billion to N5 billion, but now NCS generates between NII5 billion to N119 billion daily.
He said diplomatic engagements that took place during the partial land border closure yielded many positive results, including the commitment to comply with the ECOWAS Protocol on Transit Operationalization of joint border patrols at both sides of the border.
The teams, Attah said, are required to share intelligence and ensure the prevention of transit of prohibited goods into the neighbor territory.
The NCS however wishes to express its readiness to strictly implement the outcome of the diplomatic engagements as the land borders are now open for movement of cargoes and intelligence gathered during the period and the introduction of the e- Customs and installation of scanners at all entry points will enhance border security and boost national trade facilitation.
He hinted that the Ministry of Finance has purchased three (3) new Scanners. Interestingly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also expressed commitment to purchasing four (4) Scanners and establishing the control center for monitoring all scanning sites in their bid to boost the national economy, especially the agricultural sector.
He explained that within the next six (6) months, the NCS would have about seven (7) functional Scanners to be mounted at strategic entry points even before the full deployment of e-Customs components which will see to the deployment of 135 modern Scanners.
The NCS appreciates and commends the leadership of CBN for this strategic intervention in the interest of the nation and in the same vein, the Service efforts to prevent the entry of items that could compromise the security of the citizens, Economy and they're well being.
The action resulted in the seizures of 4,3O4 assorted items with a duty paid value of 4I28,287,2A5, A 47.52.
These seizures include arms, ammunition, illicit drugs, used clothing, vegetable oil, frozen poultry and foreign rice, among others that have negative consequences on the economy, security and well-being of Nigerians.
"We give assurances of total commitment to the course of protecting national security and economy, we call on Nigerians, especially the business community to support the NCS as our borders open to African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) with a view to benefiting from the trade agreement and other cross border activities. NNL.
