Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Othman, the Co-ordinator of Zone `A’, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has assured that the service was committed to higher revenue generation and computerization to further facilitate trade.
Othman, an Assistant Comptroller-General said in Lagos that the management led by Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, the Comptroller-General of Customs, gave paramount attention to the welfare of officers and the computerisation programme.
Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Othman, the Co-ordinator of Zone `A’, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has assured that the service was committed to higher revenue generation and computerization to further facilitate trade.
Othman, an Assistant Comptroller-General said in Lagos that the management led by Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, the Comptroller-General of Customs, gave paramount attention to the welfare of officers and the computerisation programme.
He said the comptroller-general’s attention to welfare and trainings had given a boost to revenues collected by the service at both the zonal level and nationwide.
For instance, the service generated the sum of N602 billion into the Federation Account at the end of October 2011, far from its revenue target of N596 billion set for the 10 months.
“The customs computer programme definitely does a lot to block a lot of revenue leakages. “We (Customs) are heading toward a paperless regime and with the regime, i am sure the revenue will be high”,Othman said.
The zonal co-ordinator, however, said that some officers were still not too conversant with computer in spite of a lot of trainings, lamenting that this is a drawback, but added that the service “is doing much toward going professional''.
“If you are an officer in valuation, you continue on valuation and if you are on classification, you continue and on that, there is professionalism”, the assistant comptroller-general said.
Othman also advised scanning companies to shape up because the NCS had gone paperless.
He said the use of manual Single Goods Declaration (SGD) form had been phased out since Jan 1, 2012, adding that the service had stopped printing the form from its printing press.
“The major challenge is for the scanning companies to ensure they interface with the customs system and ensure they get the electronic SGD on-line to be able to fulfill their obligation under the Destination Inspection contract.
“Otherwise, the service cannot wait for them because the management of Nigeria Customs Service will not allow anybody to draw it behind in areas of modernisation, trade facilitation, revenue generation and transformation of the service,’’ Othman said.
He said scanning companies should also be alive to their responsibilities and interface with the NCS because “the Nigeria Customs Service has a single window platform for all stakeholders to interface’’.
The customs boss added that the customs area comptrollers were also hardworking and well-selected.
Othman explained that there was also effective supervision of the area commands by the zone through zonal meetings where officers brainstormed on how to collect more revenue and block revenue leakages.
In some cases, we notice declarations that are unprofessional by importers and their agents, he said.
“You find some concealment, under-declarations, under-valuation and these are challenges that inhibit trade facilitation and affect revenue,’’ the assistant comptroller-general said.
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