Customs collects N1.2 trillion revenue, seized N61bn contraband in 2018
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS weekend said it has collected a total of N1.2 trillion as at December 2018, even as it disclosed that contraband consignments with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N61.5 billion were also seized during the period under review.
The revenue figure is N164 billion higher than the 2017 collection which was N1.04 trillion. In a statement, Customs Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, said the increases in annual revenue collection by the Service in the last three years was as a result of various reforms like the upgrade of the electronic systems from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System I (NICIS I) to NICIS II which has blocked leakages.
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“Another is the strategic deployment of manpower, strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the tariff and trade department, robust stakeholder engagement resulting in increased compliance and increased disposition of officers and men to put national interest above selves”, he added.
On anti-smuggling, Attah said seizures made included arms, ammunition, over 59 containers of Tramadol and other controlled drugs and 320,709 bags of foreign rice etc.
The Customs spokesman maintained that the Service operated within its three-layer security strategy in its efforts to make smuggling unattractive to potential culprits.
While appreciating compliant stakeholders that have supported the Service in 2018, he called on all Nigerians, especially international trade actors, to help make 2019 better for the Service.
Source: VANGUARD
