The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service yesterday raised alarm about what it called the continuous drop in revenue collection, even as it recorded N61.7 billion between January and March 2016, a deficit of N13Billion when compared with the N74.71 billion it collected in the corresponding period in 2015.
Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Mr. Willy Egbudin who disclosed the figure at a stakeholders meeting in Apapa Lagos, yesterday further complained that vessel call at the Lagos Ports Complex has dropped and as a result, revenue collection by the service has dipped.
Egbudin lamented that, “if revenue collection continue to drop in flagship command of the Nigeria Customs service, I wonder how other commands will get their own revenue “.
He also noted that the command placed a higher premium on the monthly meeting, urging the stakeholders to come up with ideas, suggestions and innovations on how to improve on revenue generation.
Egbudin also re-emphasised the need for officers and men of the service and other key stakeholders in trade facilitation to uphold integrity in their line of duty, stressing the need for honest declaration in the clearing procedure of consignments.
He said integrity on the part of the operators will bring about improved revenue collection, calling on the stakeholders to look inward on how improve on revenue collection.
“Apapa Area Command is the flagship of Nigeria Customs Service and if revenue generation from Apapa is going down, that means revenue generation as a whole to the customs will go down and that is why we the stakeholders and the officers in Apapa command must fashion out a way of improving on its revenue”
According to him, there is general economic down turn which has affected the maritime sector because there has been a drop in vessels coming to Nigeria.
The premier command boss added that the situation of 2015 was quite different with what is obtainable recently, adding that more cargoes were imported in the corresponding year.
He urged importers and their principals to embrace honest declaration in order to assist the command collect more revenue.
“Even when these vessels come in, they come with scanty number of containers; bulk cargoes no longer come the way they used to, because some of items are denied by forex through the Central Bank of Nigeria ”
He said all hands must be on deck for the command to improve on revenue collection, adding that the country is in a building process in which everybody has a role to play.
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