Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko has said that the reduction of government agencies operating at the ports has contributed to increased revenue collection by the service.
Dikko told journalists in Katsina midway into the Customs Comptroller-General Conference, that more importers were now patronising the nation’s ports and borders because of reforms in the ports.
He said that the increased patronage had resulted to improved revenue collection by the service through import and excise duty, fees and special levy.
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko has said that the reduction of government agencies operating at the ports has contributed to increased revenue collection by the service.
Dikko told journalists in Katsina midway into the Customs Comptroller-General Conference, that more importers were now patronising the nation’s ports and borders because of reforms in the ports.
He said that the increased patronage had resulted to improved revenue collection by the service through import and excise duty, fees and special levy.
Dikko had consistently praised his officers for tripling revenue in two years from N30 billion to N100 billion a month.
Dikko, who is in Katsina for the weeklong event had visited the Jibia/ Magama border on the Nigeria-Niger Republic border crossing.
At the border, he witnessed lines of cars and buses waiting to be driven into Nigeria and the scanning of all the vehicles.
“I do not think any contraband good can pass though here and not be arrested,’’ he said.
He described Jibia border “as the most organised border I have ever seen in Nigeria.’’
The Jibia border is strategic for cross-border trade as the landlocked Niger largely depends on Nigeria for many of its imports.
“Everything passing through this border is scanned and I witnessed the scanning of a car and bus here today. They equally scan trucks,’’ Dikko said.
Cotecna Destination Inspection Ltd., is providing the scanning services at the border post.
From January 2013, the Nigeria customs will assume full responsibility for all Destination Inspection Services, previously contracted to service providers, including Cotecna.
Dikko reiterated that the Nigeria customs was ready to assume full responsibility for all Destination Inspection Services.
He hinged his optimism on the spirited and ongoing modernisation and professionalism in the service.
On border security, Dikko told reporters that training and retraining of staff would continue with the provision of additional utility vehicles to commands to boost their operations at the borders.
The customs boss was delighted with the Katsina/Kaduna State Command anti-smuggling activities after visiting a warehouse stocked with seized goods.
He promised that the service would not relent in its determination to drastically reduce smuggling in the nation’s ports and borders.
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