Apapa Customs record over N1bn receipt recovery Q1

Says cargo seizures manifestation of non-compliance

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command recorded a whooping N1, 142,876,606.00 revenue receipt recovery in Duty Paid Value between January and March 2022.

Comptroller Malanta and a port police chief decorating Abubakar with his new rank

This is even as the command has declared a staggering 65.7% increase in its first quarter 2022 revenue collection, raking in a total of two hundred and sixty four billion, five hundred and thirty six million, two hundred and ninety three naira, seventy one kobo, N264,536,201,293.71.

Above figure represent 65.7percent increase amounting to one hundred and four billion naira, over and above the sum of one hundred and fifty nine billion, N159billion collected by the command within the corresponding period of 2021.

Speaking on the command’s revenue receipt recovery made from seizures and debit notices, DN, issued to non compliant traders, the Customs Area Controller, Compt. Yusuf Malanta said the volume of seizures at any particular period aggregates the level of trade compliance, and enjoined traders to remain compliant in order to enjoy the benefits of timely cargo clearance and associated cost efficiencies.

He explained that the command’s anti-smuggling activities is a notch higher both in strategy and results which yielded 46 seizures as against a total of 28 seizures in the corresponding period of 2021; with a Duty Paid Value of one billion, one hundred and forty two million, eight hundred and seventy six thousand, six hundred and six naira, N1, 142,876,606.00 only.

The command also processed export goods worth thirty four billion, seventy two million, eight hundred and sixty nine thousand, seven hundred and ninety nine naira, N34, 072,869,799.00 within the period under review; with a Free On Board, FOB, Value of USD 87.992,356.10million, as against  82.1USDmillion export proceed between January and March 2021.

He further explained that the deployment of ICT and other dynamics as being the major factor in the rise in seizures. “If you listened to the second paragraph of my presentation, l said our performance was made possible because of our officers’ creativity and leveraging the service Information Technology platform to ensure all revenue leakages are mitigated.

“This is as well as sustaining the level of compliance by the importers and stakeholders in the clearance value chain. When you talk about rise or fall in seizure, it is a function of compliance; it is directly proportionate to traders’ compliance.”

SC Usman Abubakar

He said seized items for the first quarter 2022 include unregistered medicaments such as tramadol and codeine syrup, unprocessed wood, used clothing, footwear, foreign parboiled rice amongst others. He noted that while the command is ever ready to facilitate trade, the service multiple layers of checks will fish out any contravention.

“Last year, we were able to make a classical seizure of pentagon pills, we also made a classical seizure of cocaine, as well as lots of tramadol. But within this short period, we have made only two containers of tramadol and one container of codeine syrup.

“These are seizures we considered as high risk and we go for it always. I can say that the compliance level is increasing, if you rate it, we can say we have 50% compliance.”

Meanwhile, the Command Public Relations Officer, Usman Abubakar has been decorated with his new Superintendent of Customs rank, alongside other officers promoted recently.