Customs Generates N546b Revenue In 2010

Posted by admin Headlines Friday, January 7th, 2011

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it generated a total revenue of N546, 640,364,394.01, between January and December 2010, out of its N561 billion target for the year.

This was disclosed to journalists at the Customs Headquarters by the deputy public relations officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, in Abuja yesterday.

According to the Customs deputy spokesman, a total revenue of N24, 719,935,660.40, was lost to waivers and concessions granted by the federal government. This, he said, accounted for the shortfall in the revenue collected for the year.

Attah explained that despite the dwindling global revenue generation, occasioned by the global meltdown, measures put in place by the service, such as the e-payment system and the ASYCUDA++, which has helped reduce human contact, and consequently reduce corruption, has helped in achieving the record.

Other measures, he said, includes the improved anti-smuggling tactics, which resulted in the dismantling of in-country roadblocks, with the men redeployed to boost security at the borders, as well as the improvement of officers welfare packages.

Asked what the greatest challenge to the service was in 2010, Attah said “the dishonesty on the part of the trading community, who always seek ways to short- change the government, as well as the lack of integrity exhibited by most stakeholders, was our greatest challenge last year.”

“In some instance, officers have had to pay the supreme price in the course of their work towards realising our revenue target, due to the unpatriotic activities of some importers who are bent on sabotaging the economy of this nation,” he said.

On the impact of the new import policy, Attah expressed optimismwp_posts