The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
has generated N1.012 trillion as revenue, exceeding the N770.5 billion
target it set for 2017 by about 23.9 percent.
NCS’ Public
Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah, in a briefing at the
headquarters in Abuja on Thursday said the Service achieved the feat
due to the dogged implementation of the Presidential mandate to
Restructure, Reform and Raise revenue (3Rs) by the Comptroller General
of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd).
He said: “Nigeria Customs
Service has recorded the highest revenue collection ever, of N1.012trn
with five more working days to the end of 2017.”
Mr Attah noted
that the performance in revenue collection shows N241.68bn (about 23.9
per cent) increase over the N770.5bn target for the year, and that it
was well above the N898.67bn collected in 2016.
He said it was
despite the economic recession experienced earlier in the year with low
volume imports, occasioned by restriction on 41 items from accessing
foreign exchange.
Among the strategies taken by the Col. Ali to
raise the revenue include strategic redeployment of officers and men,
overhaul and re-training operatives of the Customs Intelligence Unit,
and intensified anti-smuggling exercise through the Compliance Team.
Others
are prompt reward for hard work and punishment for defaulters,
transparent and merit-based promotion, stakeholders’ sensitisation, and
maximising automation through monitoring, blocking and recovering lost
revenues.
He said the ruthless anti-smuggling operations resulted
in over 4,000 assorted seizures with over N11bn in value in 2017
including 2,671 pump action rifles and 13,000 metric tonnes of rice.
“It
helped to increase levels of compliance in terms of honest declarations
and correct payment of duties by traders to avoid loss of their goods
and possible jail term,” he said.
The Service also recorded
injuries and lost six Officers in the process of enforcing the law
during the year even as it noted that some unpatriotic elements are
still sabotaging government policies especially with the smuggling of
rice and vehicles through the land borders.
“The CGC has directed
sustained onslaught against smugglers especially at this festive
period. He however in the spirit of the season, enjoined all
stakeholders to reflect on the values of patriotism and resolve to avoid
all forms of smuggling,” Attah confirmed
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