The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it collected N136.34 billion from January to May, 2017, beating the revenue for the corresponding period of 2016, which stood at N98.17 billion, by N38.07 billion (or 38.78 per cent).
Addressing newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, the Apapa Customs Area Controller; Comptroller Jibril Musa said the command was able to surpass its revenue target for May 2017, “irrespective of the prevailing harsh economic conditions evidenced by the low cargo throughput as well as drop in oil revenue”, due to the officers’ diligence and commitment to work ethics, adding that he has always stressed value addition to leave his command progressively better each day.
According to him, the officers and men of the command having internalised work ethic were able to recover N1.82 billion from infractions identified and treated within the period under review, and will continue to intensify efforts at blocking all revenue leakages in order to sustain and build on the result.
Also, the command’s enforcement unit effected 24 detentions, including containers of frozen fish, medicaments and pharmaceuticals, among others, for offences ranging from under-invoicing, wrong classification/declaration, prohibition and under-payments, among others.
Giving a breakdown of the command's anti-smuggling prowess, he said that the command intercepted and detained some export containers of scrap metals, wet blue (leather) and unprocessed wood, which fall under export prohibition,” adding that investigations were on-going but that the seized pharmaceuticals would be handed over to NAFDAC for necessary action.
Meanwhile, Musa called on prospective exporters of made-in-Nigeria products and other raw materials to come to the Apapa command for their exports, stating that the command was ready to facilitate export trade in view of government’s efforts at diversifying the economy through export of agricultural products.
Similarly, he disclosed that in line with government’s directive on ease of doing business, the command has created a functional Customs Examination Centre within the APM Terminal to “serve as a coordinating centre for all stakeholders in cargo examination at the Apapa Port,” adding that he had already met with critical agencies on the smooth operation of the centre.
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