Customs CG Pledge To Overshoot 2024 Revenue Target

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR while presenting the Service’s 2024 budget yesterday, February 5, 2024 to the Nigeria Senate Committee on Customs at the National Assembly, pledged to surpass the 2024 N5 trillion revenue target.

While defending the 2024 budget of 706.43 billion naira, Adeniyi said attention will be given to consolidating carried-over projects, increasing staff welfare by improving and motivating officers’ performance, and integrating technologies into Customs processes.

Speaking on Officers’ welfare, the CGC said that Officers will be encouraged in various ways to increase efficiency and improve their well-being. He stated that this would be done through awards, promotions, and payment of allowances.

On the 2024 revenue target, he pledged to surpass the projected figure of N5.079 trillion even as he disclosed that the revenue  2024 revenue target is 27.75 percent higher than that of 2023.

While the CGC outlined strategies to achieve the 2024 target, he also zeroed in on the prospective implementation of the National Single Window championed by the Federal Ministry of Finance.  This is even as he harped on strategies to organize and standardize Customs processes, port decongestion, collaboration with other agencies for efficiency and competitiveness, and anti-smuggling operations.

The customs boss also listed other strategies which includes integrating ICT into operations, investing in capacity building including stakeholders engagement, among others.

Similarly, the CG emphasized supporting local production and taking food security seriously; even as he further hinted that the service plan to recruit about 1600 to beef up its workforce in the new year.

He said, “We intend to grant waivers to vehicle owners to pay duties within a specific time to avoid sanctions and to regularize the importation of vehicles through payment of duties.

“The service plans to recruit 1,600 personnel in 2024. The low figure is due to the small vacancies we have available. These vacancies are primarily for junior staff who will carry out Customs operations and guard duties. In subsequent years, more recruitment exercises will be carried out.”

He however noted that the Service had a shortfall by 12.62 percent in its 2023 revenue target, citing concessions in section 99 of the Common External Tariff (CET), import duty exemption certificates, cash crunch, general elections, and other factors affecting revenue generation negatively. He assured of a positive outcome in 2024.

Senator Isa Jibrin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, applauded the CG for the progress and success achieved in his brief tenure in Office, beckoning him to perform better as the house will support him in terms of remuneration and infrastructure to meet up with the 2024 target.