The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says it has achieved enhanced professionalism, robust anti-smuggling operations, spectacular seizures and highest ever revenue collection of more than a trillion naira.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the NCS, Mr Joseph Attah, said this in an interview on Sunday in Abuja.
He said the Service under the present Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), retired Col. Hameed Ali, who was saddled with three presidential mandate to restructure, reforms and to boost revenue collection of the Service has recorded tremendous achievements.
Attah said restructuring of the Service by the Customs boss led to some retirement, and dismissal of some personnel for inappropriate conduct to pave the way for a system that would be more transparent and focused on delivering the NCS mandate.
The PRO said the Service experienced mass redeployment when it discovered that some officers had served in some Commands for more than10 years.
Attah added that this could lead to compromise and things that could negatively impact on national revenue, adding that security could also set in.
He explained that the deployment was to ensure effective service delivery.
He said immediately after the redeployment there was an increase in the number of seizures, anti-smuggling operations and revenue generation.
“In 2017, the NCS recorded N1.37 trillion to the coffers of this country, the highest ever revenue collected.
“A lot of spectacular seizures were made including the 2,671 Pump Action Raffle and seizures of illicit drugs.
“Customs has done a lot in the last three years, it has been years of transformation, restructure and reforms,’’ Attah said.
According to him, the CGC introduced the E-auction platform in 2017, when he discovered that the manual process of the past is being abused and impacting negatively on the image of the Service.
He said the advantage of the electronic platform was to give equal opportunity to all Nigerians and as well as secure revenue collection for the Federal Government.
“Within these three years, you will notice that fiscal government policies brought about the banning of vehicles and importation of rice through the land borders and we have made tremendous success in the area of enforcement.
“A lot of vehicles have been seized and records from our seaports show a rising profile of vehicle importations through the seaports.
“This means that the capacity of our seaports that have been laying fallow are now being utilised, more jobs are being provided for the people who work in the ports and national security is being boosted.’’
According to Attah, at the seaports, these vehicles are more controlled, better and more examination and proper duty collected before they are released.
The PRO said under the present administration, NCS also introduced bonded vehicle terminals after the ban on vehicles importation through the land borders on January 1, 2017.
He said this was introduced in order to alleviate the suffering of motor dealers in the country.
He said any motor dealer or interested person with a license to operate bonded vehicle terminals only needed to pay duty for imported vehicles after 28 days at such terminal.
Attah said dealers and interested persons could apply to the Area Comptroller through the Area Command of the preferred location for processing.
He noted that the advantage of the policy was to ensure that the burden of paying duty for all imported vehicles at the ports was taken off the operators.
He explained that these vehicles would be escorted by Customs officers to the terminal without payment of duty.
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