Customs Goes After Revenue Defaulters

• Recovers N2.5 Bn From Unpaid Assessments
Apparently worried about its dwindling revenue collection, the Nigeria Customs Service yesterday threatened to publish names of beneficiaries of its duty payment concessions who default in honouring their obligations.

Such defaulters include importers who were given various forms of deferred payment concessions to avoid accumulation of demurrage and facilitate trade.

Such defaulters include importers who were given various forms of deferred payment concessions to avoid accumulation of demurrage and facilitate trade.
But, an obviously apprehensive Comptroller-General of Customs; Dikko Inde Abdullahi gave the threat while in Abuja while reviewing the activities of the Customs Revenue Recovery Team; a special task force set up to address dwindling revenue in all the service’s formations.
The Customs boss however disclosed that the recovery team has been able to recover N2.5 billion from unpaid assessments and un-utilised Risk Assessment Reports (RAR).
The service said that the money was recovered by its revenue recovery team, which was constituted about three weeks ago.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr Wale Adeniyi in Abuja.
The statement added that the amount was recovered from importers and other shipping concerns, which were given "temporary importation concessions".
It added that, “on Temporary Importation, a total of N 1.6 billion outstanding has been established against three beneficiaries who contravened the regulations. The defaulting beneficiaries applied for and enjoyed Temporary Importation concession while they had active Forms M and Risk Assessment Reports against their names”
"The recovery team has over 2,000 companies under its radar; transaction of RARs and unpaid assessment of these companies are undergoing a comprehensive audit to confirm evidence of RAR utilization and duty payments," the statement said.
It disclosed that Customs would henceforth publish the list of beneficiaries of duty payment concessions who default in honouring their obligations.
It explained further that the decision to publish the list of defaulters of the duty payment concessions was taken by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Dikko Abdullahi.
The statement said that the measure was part of efforts to address its dwindling revenue collection.
It said "defaulters included importers who were given various forms of deferred payment concessions to avoid accumulation of demurrage.
"Others in this category had un-utilised RARs still hanging in the system long after the departure of the service providers who issued them during their dispensation.
"We have given them only one week to pay all outstanding customs duties, failure of which their names will be published in the national dailies.
"The Comptroller-General has also directed that the bank bonds secured to cover the defaulting transactions should be converted to duty payment."