The Nigeria Customs Service, Onne Port, declared on Wednesday that it must achieve or surpass its revenue target of N140.2bn for the year 2020.
This is as stakeholders in port operations called on Customs to acquire scanners that would make detection of smuggled items analysis less cumbersome and make the revenue target achievable.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Onne, Rivers State, the Customs Controller, Port Harcourt Area II, Onne Port Command, Aliyu Galadima, stated that compliance by stakeholders in port operations was key to achieving or surpassing revenue targets.
Galadima assured the stakeholders that Customs, Onne Port, would get one of the scanners installed at the port for the speedy delivery of cargoes.
He said, ‘’It is no longer news that our Command generated total revenue of N107.3b last year; and thus surpassed the annual target revenue of N97.7b given to us by the management of NCS with N11.6b, 112 per cent of the said annual target.
“The Area II Command, Onne Port, was given a revenue target of N140.2b for the year 2020. We are not only optimistic about meeting the target; we hope to surpass it through hard work, honesty and dedication to work and above all, with your support.”
One of the stakeholders at the forum and Secretary of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Chinedu Ikenga, pointed out that without scanners at the ports, it might be difficult for the Command to meet the year’s target.
Ikenga also explained that apart from scanners, the challenge of bad roads should also be addressed by the Federal Government.
He said, “About a decade ago, the Federal Government introduced scan machines in the three major ports in the country; Lagos, Apapa and Onne. The scanners worked for about two years and shut down.
“Till date, I cannot pinpoint exactly why the scanners are no longer in use and considering the type of cargos importers bring into Onne port, there is needs for scanners because without this, that is why cargos now stays more than three to five days.”
If scanners are in use; in a day, over 200 containers would be scanned, he said, adding that when scanners are not in use, the West African Container Terminal can do only a few.
