…Over N165 Billion Collected
Despite claims of economic recession, the Apapa Area Command has maintained its lead as the highest revenue collector in Nigeria Customs Service in the first half of 2017 with a total of one hundred and sixty- five billion, seven hundred and forty three million, two hundred and sixty six thousand, one hundred and seven naira and seventy one kobo (N165, 743, 266, 107.71), which represents 49.06% collection on its target for the year 2017.
Comparatively, the total collection during the corresponding period January to June 2016, was one hundred and twenty billion, nine hundred and forty one million, and forty three thousand, six hundred and eighty five naira only (120,967,152,918.00) which is 31.48% collection on target for the year 2016.
This shows that the revenue profile of the Command has increased by forty four billion, seven hundred and seventy four million, one hundred and thirteen thousand, one hundred and ninety two naira and seventy one kobo (44,774,113,192.71) which represent 27.01% growth over the previous year.
The breakdown of monthly collection is as follows; January, 25,958,919,218.73; February, 24,767,582,067.43; March, 26,713,144,429.13; April, 25,186,752,882.45; May, 33,618,220,540.24; June, 29,498,646,970.73; amounting to 165,743,266,107.71.
Meanwhile, the Ikeja Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) recorded another landmark success in its anti smuggling operations with the interception of contrabands worth Two Hundred and Twenty Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty Naira, Seventy Five Kobo (N 28,954,448) in less than a month.
The Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Mohammed Garba revealed this in a press briefing last week in Lagos as the seizures were showcased at the command’s warehouse.
“We have intercepted various contrabands with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of two Hundred Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety five thousand, six Hundred and Forty one Naira, Eight kobo (N200, 995,646.8) from 13th June to 10th July 2017.
“In the same vein, the unit through our interventions recovered Twenty Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira, Seventy Five kobo (N28, 954,448) from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to outsmart our officers at the seaports, airport and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)” Garba explained
According to the Area Comptroller, “forty (40) different seizures were recorded comprising of vegetable oil, foreign parboiled rice frozen poultry products, smuggled vehicles, medicaments, used tires, and various general merchandise”
Comptroller Mohammed Garba who noted that the fight against smuggling could only be won if all hands are on deck, seized the opportunity to thank the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire management team of the NSC for the provision of incentives and logistics that brought the feat, even as he assured Nigerians of more achievements in the future.
