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By Innocent Orok
Compt. Abba-Kura
The Apapa premier port Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has collected the total sum of N203,264,054,682.69 between January to June 2019. The amount is N26,507,298,510.24 higher than the 2018 collection within the same period and represents 54.5% of annual revenue target for the command in the 2019 fiscal year. The Apapa Command has target of N31,046,655,039.35 and N372,559,860,472.23 as monthly and the year target respectively for this year 2019.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, the Apapa Command Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura said the success recorded in the Command’s revenue profile could be attributed to strict adherence to professionalism through sensitisation of officers in respect to their responsibilities and working in line with the standard operational procedures for revenue collection.
On anti- smuggling , the Controller said the Command made seizures of 24 containers of various items that contravened import procedures, valued at N418,437,048 .The seized items includes tomato pastes , vegetable oil, ladies and girls fashion footwears, Tramadol and other drugs. Others includes armoured glasses without end-user certificate and drilling pipes labelled in foreign language. According to the Customs Chief all the listed items have breached the Federal Government fiscal policy measures for 2018/2019 and are liable to seizure.
He added that the command also made some arrests of suspects in connection with the seizures. “Investigations are ongoing before prosecution of the suspects” he said.
On Exports activities, the command nets a total of $46,613,453.75 (N14,258,443,706.63) Free On Board (FOB) value from a total of 95,229.15 metric tons of exported goods mostly agricultural and mineral products with the same period of the year.
On trade facilitation , Comptroller Abba- Kura said “The Command will facilitate speedily legitimate, compliant and all trade that have satisfied the necessary procedures concerning the transaction .All such consignments will get accelerated clearance out of the Customs system”
He further said that the command will continue to build on the capacity programs for both Officers and Stakeholders operating within the Command to acquaint them with modern trends, government fiscal policies as well as NICIS II operative systems etc. Abba Kura also assured all stakeholders that he will continue to operate an open door policy to address any issue that may prompt up to facilitate legitimate and complaint trade.
