Apapa Customs Breaks Service Record, Collects N78.4 billion Revenue in one Month

…As Fiscal Commission Commend Comptroller Malanta’s Efforts

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of Comptroller Yusuf Malanta has yet again received the commendation of the Federal Government for generating a humongous N78.4 billion revenue in the month of June 2021 alone.

A delegation of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) led by its Chairman, Customs Revenue Monitoring Committee, Dr Adekunle Wright visited the command on Tuesday and commended the premier command for the quantum of revenue so far generated into the Federal Government purse since Comptroller Malanta assumed office.

The revenue stands as the highest in the history of the command and as highest revenue collected in a single month by any Customs command.

This feat also shows an increase of over 90% when compared to
the N42.4 billion collected by the command in the corresponding month under review.

While briefing journalists, Compt Malanta stated that, for the period under review, the Command recorded 10 seizures of various uncustoms goods such as tomato paste, used clothing, unregistered pharmaceutical drugs, among others with a Duty Paid Value of N442 million.

He said the Command has generated a total of N366
billion for the half year, January to June 2021 which represents 61% increase when compared to the N227 billion collected in the first half of 2020.

In terms of export activities, Compt Malanta said that goods worth N272.3 billion have been exported through Apapa port between January and June 2021.

These exports include Agricultural goods such as sesame seed, ginger,
hibiscus flower and other mineral resources.

The total tonnage of the said
export stood at 1.6 million tones with FOB value of $103 billion.

The Comptroller attributed the outstanding performance to the resilience of officers of the Command and to the sustained anti-smuggling campaign and the increased level of compliance by importers and freight forwarders.

“This unprecedented record is a great validation of our new approach to revenue drive. It is also fitting to emphasize here that this volume of
revenue has never been recorded in the history of the Flagship Command of the Nigeria Customs Service”

“Consequent upon the above and in line with the provision of Extant laws, trade guidelines and enforcement of Government Fiscal Policy, the Command was able to strengthen its anti-smuggling operation against economic saboteurs through timely credible intelligence driven network which led to the seizure of 46 containers between Jan-Jun 21 with Duty
Paid Value of N27.6 billion”

“All these importations are contrary to the provision of sections 46 & 47 of Customs and Excise Management Act CAP
C45 LFN 2004 and Customs & Excise Notices No.1491”

“This spectacular achievement was made possible by our officers’ resilience and commitment in ensuring collections of appropriate revenue, robust stakeholders’ engagement and seamless facilitation of compliant trade” he said

Compt Malanta urged all importers, exporters, Customs brokers and freight forwarders to imbibe the culture of compliance as part of their standard operating procedure stressing that this would further reduce the time and cost of doing business at the port

Also speaking, Chairman of the Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) led by Dr Adekunle Wright said the Nigeria Customs Service is an agency that the commission does not take for granted.

“They have continually supported the three tiers of government through this kind of brilliant performance that has allowed them to contribute into the federation account”

“It is the federation account that feeds the three tiers of government

“With this kind of statistics that the Comptroller has read out, you can see that we have hope, now that the prices of crude oil is going down, this is our own oil, and we thank him for the brilliant performance that he has continued to bring up.

“This is the Customs Revenue Monitoring Committee of the commission, we are on a working tour and we have met these records that have spoken for itself, this is the Flagship of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Comptroller is really doing very well here, we are happy to be associated with him” he said.