By Nkpemenyie McDominic – Lagos
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded an impressive performance in its revenue generation drive and anti-smuggling campaign between January and June 2022.
The Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf, stated this while reviewing activities of the Command between January and June on Friday.
He disclosed that the Command generated the sum of N522.4 billion as against N366.5 billion recorded in the same period 2021, representing 42.5 percent increase..
Yusuf said the increase in the Command’s revenue profile was the result of officers’ resilience in ensuring identified revenue leakages, while sustaining the level of compliance by importers/stakeholders in the clearance value chain.
He further explained that the Command recorded a boom in the exportation of non-oil commodities with about 2.5 million metric tonnes, above the 540 metric tonnes in 2021.
The Free on Board (FOB) value for the exported items rose from $1.6 million in 2021 to $138 million in 2022 from exportation of steel bars, agricultural and mineral products, amongst others.
Meanwhile, he said measures are also put in place to address one of the challenges facing the Command in terms of scanner.
On anti-smuggling, the Command intercepted dangerous items, resulting in the seizure of 83 containers with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N8.3 billion for the period under review.
“The Command has consistently strived in its core mandates of revenue generation, prevention and suppression of smuggling, Trade facilitation, implementation of government fiscal policies, as well as collaboration and cooperation with other government agencies to ensure ease of doing business in the port.
“The Federal Government policy and export incentive schemes have played vital roles in boosting export trade in Nigeria.
“Our anti-smuggling operation is guided by the Federal Government Import and Export prohibition lists, as well as other government fiscal policies as directed”, Compt. Malanta said.
Some of the seized items include: 32 containers of processed/unprocessed wood; five containers of unregistered pharmaceuticals; 18 containers of used clothings/shoes; 12 containers of foreign parboiled rice; seven containers of vegetable oil; three containers of tomato paste; and 1x20ft container laden with 150 cartons of tramadol.
He also said 21 suspects arrested in connection with the seisures are at various stages of investigation and prosecution.
Yusuf further revealed that the Command recently handed over 2x20ft containers no. SUDU 7774749 and UETU2798479 laden with 150 cartons of illicit hard drugs to the NDLEA to further strengthen existing relationship between relevant government agencies in the port.