By Adegboyega Oni
Nigeria Customs Service today in Abuja disclosed that it generated the sum of N1,341,690,568,327.18 for the nation the year 2019.
The Service noted that the amount surpassed the target of N969,831,167.83 set for the year 2019 and N139,241,835,082.29 over the sum of N1,202,448,733,244.89 generated in 2018.
While commenting on the feat, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col, Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) described the revenue generation feat as a result of resolute pursuit of ‘’what is right rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individual or group interests.’’
The Comptroller General noted that the service revenue generation profile of the Service continued to be on the rise annually as a result of the various ongoing reforms embarked on by the Service and insisted on enforcing.
Ali added that the partial border closure which has forced cargoes that could have been smuggled through the porous borders to come through the sea and airports raised revenue collection from ports.
Before the commencement of the border drill on 20th August 2019, revenue generation was between N4 billion to N5 billion but now NCS generate between N5 billion to N7 billion daily.
The partial border closure is a decisive action against the challenging issue of trans-border crime and criminalities, fueled by the noncompliance to ECOWAS Protocol on transit of goods by neigbhouring Countries.NCS hopes that the ongoing discussions with our neighbours will yield permanent solution to the challenges of border security.
Within the year recorded seizures of 30,906 assorted items with a duty paid value of N62,134,426,199.00. These seizures include arms, ammunitions, illicit drugs, used clothings, vegetable oil, frozen poultry and foreign rice among others that have grave consequences on economy security and well being of Nigerians.
The Comptroller General called on Nigerians, especially the business community to support the Service on the ongoing drive to robustly contribute to National Security and create enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.
The Service wishes to express its readiness to strictly implement the outcome of the ongoing diplomatic engagements.
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