By Uzor Odigbo
Despite tight import policy regime and economic challenges, the Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service collected a total of three hundred and fifty billion, nine hundred and seventy-eight million, four hundred and eleven thousand, eight hundred and fourteen naira and sixty-four kobo only (#350,978,411,814.64) in 2017.
A press statement from the command indicates that last year’s total collection translates to 99.01 perv cent of the annual target for the year. This is however, showing an increase in revenue performance over the previous year 2016 by #50,997,346,214 representing 14.5 percent growth comparatively.
A breakdown of the revenue collection for the year 2016 and 2017 is presented below.
Month 2016 , 2017
January 23,476,370,003.00 25,958,919,218.73
February 19,756,988,135.00 24,767,582,067.43
March 18,477,738,488.00 26,713,144,429.13
April 19,256,139,768.00 25,186,752,882.45
May 17,203,969,904.00 33,618,220,540.24
June 22,796,837,287.00 29,498,646,970.73
July 27,405,005,184.83 30,958,508,169.19
August 34,923,757,810.77 32,104,450,170.46
September 32,947,903,912.38 28,041,289,644.00
October 27,756,404,585.07 31,800,442,408.75
November 28,667,636,206.28 36,227,934,752.96
December 27,312,314,317.06 26,102,520,560.57
Grand Total 299,981,065,601.39 350,978,411,814.64
According to the statement, The attainment of this height of maximum revenue collection could be attributed to the leadership prowess of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Musa Jibril who insists and encourages the implementation of all strategies and blueprints devised by the Command to block all revenue leakages while enhancing trade facilitation and security.
Other units like the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Valuation and the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) have equally contributed in great measure towards achieving this feat.
On the fight against smuggling, the command recorded total of twenty- four (24) detentions including containers of different items such as frozen fish, medicament, pharmaceuticals and other goods.
It added that seven of the detained containers carrying pharmaceuticals have since been handed over to NAFDAC for further investigation and possible prosecution while 3X20FT containers of wet blue contravened the provisions of schedule 6 of Common External Tariff (CET) were among the seizures.
It also announced that the Federal Government through the Comptroller-General of Customs approved and allocated the seized frozen fish to Internally Displace Persons (IDP) in Yobe state. The transport corp of the Nigerian Army took delivery of the fish from the Apapa Customs Command.
On export, the Command recorded a total of about 244,817 metric tons of exports with FOB value of about # 42,678,771,538.70 .This is higher than the 88,115.4 metric tons of export with an FOB value of (#52,509,676.04) that were exported through the port in year 2016.
The statement described the command’s relationship with other governmental and non-governmental agencies as very cordial in the Apapa Area Command.
“In fact, this collaboration became even more robust with the introduction of the Presidential Order on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria which demands that all Government Agencies now come under the same platform (Central Examination Centre) to interface and perform their various duties in order to enhance operational efficiency and curtailing unnecessary delays in the cargo clearance chain.
“Stakeholder Engagement in the previous year assumed a very high dimension in that, stakeholders now meet with the CAC and his management team on monthly basis to address issues of common concern. This has greatly reduced delays as stakeholders are now better informed.”