By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Onne Port in Rivers State generated N78.17 billion revenue for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) between January and June 2021 (H1 2021), a 67.52 per cent rise on N46.66 billion netted in H1 2020.
Auwal Mohammed, the Comptroller of Area II Onne Port Command in Port Harcourt, made the disclosure in a statement reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“The feat was achieved through strict enforcement of fiscal policies, uncompromising implementation of government directives and diligent trade facilitation, among other strategies,” he said.
“Aside from improvement in the command’s comparative mid-year revenue generation between 2020 and 2021, the command also made other very laudable feats in export and anti-smuggling activities.
“One of the feats was made in June 2020 with the generation of N14.55 billion which is an unprecedented achievement in the history of the command.”
Mohammed said goods worth N52.6 billion exported through the port in H1 2021 included sesame seeds, ginger, cocoa beans, hibiscus, fluorite ore, lead ore, palm kernel shell, cotton, float glass, and aluminium ingot.
“The total tonnage of the exported goods stood at 331.36 tonnes with Free on Board (FOB) value of $137.943 million.
“In addition, the command made 19 seizures totalling N8.299 million Duty Paid Value (DPV) within the period under review.”
Customs generates N1tr revenue in H1 2021
Earlier this month, the NCS had announced that a total N1.003 trillion revenue was generated nationwide in H1 2021, just N500 billion short of total intake in the whole of 2020.
Apapa Area Command remains the jewel in the crown, fetching N366 billion in H1 2021, a 61 per cent jump compared to N227 billion in H1 2020.
Overall revenue in H1 2021 rose N290.2 billion above N713.5 billion in H1 2020, according to a statement issued in Abuja by Customs Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, per NAN quoted by Nairametrics.
“Hitting the trillion-naira mark within six months is unprecedented in the Service. This feat is as a result of the resolute pursuit of what is right and willingness to adapt to changes brought about by global health challenges occasioned by covid-19.
“The Service revenue profile continues to be on the increase due to ongoing reforms that exploit the potentials of technology.
“This is possible through robust automation of the processes and procedures, and also the deployment of officers strictly based on the Standard Operating Procedure,” Attah said.
He attributed the feat to stakeholder sensitisation, which led to greater voluntary compliance as well as improved working relationship with the National Assembly (NASS), which enabled more standard operating procedures in operations.
“As stated by the CGC earlier in the year, it is always the desire of the Service to generate more revenue than what is set for it, given a favourable environment.
“NCS will always be willing and happy to break its records as it is in this case of over one-trillion naira in 6 months.”
Attah also disclosed that the Customs made 2,333 assorted seizures with duty paid value of N4.4 billion.
Items seized included arms and ammunition, illicit drugs, food items like rice and vegetable oil.
Apapa as flagship command
NCS Apapa Area Comptroller Yusuf Ibrahim disclosed on July 7 that the N366 billion revenue the command generated in H1 2021 was the result of its commitment to raise income through seamless facilitation of compliant trade.
“The Command has taken a giant stride in the just-concluded month of June which yielded an outstanding result in its revenue generation. We are, therefore, motivated even to do more and more in the coming months,” he said.
The command generated N78.4 billion in June, more than 90 per cent greater than N42.4 billion made in June.
“For the period under review, the command recorded 10 seizures of various uncustomed goods such as tomato paste, used clothing, unregistered pharmaceutical drugs, others with a Duty Paid Value of N442 million.
“This unprecedented record is a great validation of our new approach to revenue drive. It is also fitting to emphasise here that this volume of revenue has never been recorded in the history of the flagship command of the Nigeria Customs Service.”
Ibrahim said goods worth N272.3 billion exported were through Apapa Port in H1 2021. They included agricultural produce such as sesame seed, ginger, hibiscus flower as well as mineral resources.
“The total tonnage of the said exports stood at 1.6 million tonnes with Free on Board (FOB) value of $103 billion dollars” he added.