‘Border closure raised customs’ revenue to N1.3 trillion in 2019’

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated N1.34 trillion for the year 2019.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ibrahim Ali, who disclosed this yesterday in a statement signed by the Customs Spokesperson, Joseph Attah, said the amount surpassed the target of N937.2 billion set for the year, adding that it was also higher than N1.2 trillion generated in 2018.

He said that the partial border closure, which had forced cargoes that could have been smuggled through the porous borders to come through the seas and airports, raised revenue collection from ports.

Ali said the feat was as a result of the resolute pursuit of what is right rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individuals or group interests.

He said the NCS revenue generation profile had continued to be on the rise yearly as the ongoing reform in the Service insists on strategic deployment of officers strictly using the standard operating procedure.

Other strategies, according to him, are strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the tariff and trade department; automation of the Customs process thereby eliminating vices associated with the manual process and robust stakeholders’ sensitisation resulting in more informed/voluntary compliance.

The Customs boss added that increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above selves was also important to the feat, adding that the partial border closure is decisive action against the challenging issue of trans-border crimes and criminalities fuelled by non-compliance to ECOWAS protocol on the transit of goods by neighbouring countries.

Ali said that the NCS hopes that the ongoing discussions with our neighbours would yield permanent solution to the challenges of border security.

He expressed the Customs’ readiness to strictly implement the outcome of the ongoing diplomatic engagements.

Also, he said the Service efforts to prevent the entry of items that could compromise the security of the citizens, national economy and the well-being of the people resulted in the seizure of 30,906 assorted items with a duty paid value at N62 billion.