Olomu Tighten Loopholes, Sets N200b Ambitious Monthly Target

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

Determined to follow through with the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi’s agenda on improved enforcement, revenue collection and trade facilitation, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu fsi, and his management team has designed a new framework to strengthen and consolidate on existing strategies left behind by his predecessor, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba, retired.

The office of the CAC in a chat with Pinnacle Time highlighted the latest moves to include improved monitoring and tactical interventions, robust stakeholders’ engagement and partnership drive, all aimed at achieving, enhanced overall results.

In particular, the Office of the CAC notes that the Command is also working round the clock to achieve an ambitious N200billion monthly target in line with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) N2.3trillion 2024 revenue target.

To achieve the above, the command has set in motion N8.9 billion daily, N44 billion weekly and N193 billion monthly revenue targets for its revenue officers; while eyeing a monthly N200billion hit; expressing optimism about the possibility of realizing the set target.

Comptroller Olomu is confident that with team work, undivided attention, diligence and commitment, there is no reason the command cannot surpassed the target template he inherited upon assumption of duty recently. While the Command generated N182billion in April, the revenue dropped slightly to N175billion in May, due to unavoidable operational factors.

To close the gap and fill the marginal potential increase, Olomu is rallying his Principal Officers to take the lead in closing all identifiable loopholes without fear or favour.

Speaking through a Seat Officer, Olomu said, “We are seriously working towards this target and we are confident of achieving it due to the diligence and dedication of our revenue officers who are constantly being kept on their toes by the CAC and the Headquarters.

“We have plugged a lot of revenue leakages and made a lot of interventions which keep our revenue increasing”, he declared, adding that the CAC is also upbeat about encouraging compliant stakeholders through fast track incentives.

“We do all these without impeding trade as we do everything to facilitate genuine transactions by compliant traders. We know the high propensity of an average Nigerian trader to evade duty payment.

“So we do a lot of scanning and physical examinations without necessarily compromising trade facilitation. Because of our diligence and thoroughness in checking declarations and consignments through the use of non-intrusive technology ( scanning) and physical examinations, we notice that non-compliant traders are not comfortable.”

He note that irrespective of whether or not those averse to due professional thoroughness endorse improved monitoring and enforcement, compliance shall remain an integral aspect of customs trade without apologies.

“As a result, some of them resort to blackmail and all sorts of antics to compromise and dampen the morale of our revenue officers without success.

” We have blocked lots of loopholes and leakages, and that is what is enabling us to facilitate trade for compliant traders, especially those bringing in raw materials in agricultural and manufacturing. We ensure that there are no unnecessary delays, while we tighten up loose ends by insisting on proper examination, even though some people don’t like thorough examination.

“We have seen cases some importers and their agents undermine the due process by deliberately making wrong classification of goods. Now the CAC came in and said, DC in order to block some of the loopholes with all assurance, let’s get a chemist…he said those making wrong must be stopped, that they are paying less, that they run wrong classification in order to cut corners.

“So, whenever we have our suspicion, we say ‘give us a sample’. We send the samples to the chemist, and when we analyze the text samples properly, you see our revenue going up. And this is done without wasting time…so these are some of the types of interventions we are bringing to bear on our operations.

“We have been able to raise a lot of queries on suspicious consignments but without wasting time and that is why importers and their agents are now making their declarations properly and honestly. So, a compliant trader has no reason to be apprehensive at the command”, he said.

On the issue of efficient and effective evacuation of cargo from the port, Olomu is said to have also spoken and laid out a robust stakeholders partnership.

“Another thing we are trying to do and which this CAC has put in place is this barge operation in taking cargo out of the port. We have held series of meetings with them, we want to encourage the use barge transportation alongside all commands in Lagos. We want to work closely to enhance the barge mode of container movement, for both transit containers and inland port containers.”

Speaking on the issue of cargo scanning many agents and freight forwarders complaint as constituting delay, the Office of the CAC said on non compliant trader speaks ill of non intrusive scanning system, noting that the scanner alone selects suspect containers, without human interference in the identification of questionable containers.

“It is the system that randomly selects containers meant for scanning. There is no way our scanning officers could influence containers that will go to the scanning site.

“This is impracticable due to the volume of containers they are supposed to scan daily which is between 150 and 200. There won’t be time to subject any of such container to physical examinations given the volume of containers they are to scan each day.

“Non-instructive inspection (scanning) is the best technology we have all over the world, we cannot be an exception. Some Nigerians are averse to this type of technology that will not allow them to cut corners because of their propensity to evade payment of duties.”

Olomu it was learnt is also working at sustaining and improving alerts on cargo which some agents finds vexatious, as the command maintains that it has developed a unique formula for flagging cargoes that otherwise are positioned to evade payment of duty.

“A compliant trader has no cause for worry as there’s no alert without justification because an average Nigerian does not want to pay tax.