By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has surpassed its N770.6 billion target for 2017, generating N1 trillion during the year.
A statement issued in Abuja by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Mr Joseph Attah, disclosed that the amount was the highest revenue collected ever by the service.
In 2016, customs raked N898.7 billion as revenue.
It was gathered that despite the economic recession experienced earlier in the year with low volume of imports, occasioned by restriction placed on 41 items from accessing forex, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Hameed Ali, undertook some strategic measures in terms of restructuring and repositioning the service for efficient service delivery which resulted in this historic revenue figure from the service this year.
To achieve this feat, the CGC put in place a strategic redeployment of officers and men of customs, overhauled and re-trained operatives of the Customs Intelligence Unit and maximized the potentials of automation through monitoring, tracking infractions, blocking and recovering lost revenues.
In addition, he ensured that re-invigoration of anti-smuggling operations, setting up a Compliance Team to serve as the third layer of security, put in place a regime of prompt reward for hard work and punishment for wrong-doing; and as well as a transparent promotion process strictly based on merit; and a deliberate and sustained sensitization/Stakeholder engagements across the country.
These and other administrative measures of the current management of the service continue to motivate the workforce towards selfless pursuit of NCS and indeed the nation’s goals.
It was further gathered that ruthless anti-smuggling operations which resulted in over 4,000 assorted seizures with over N11 billion in value, also helped to increase levels of compliance in terms of honest declarations and correct payment of duties by traders to avoid loss of their goods and possible jail term.
These seizures included the spectacular 2,671 pump action riffles, dangerous drugs, rice, vehicles e.t.c.
The customs said it would have performed better if not for paucity of funds, but despite this difficult situation, NCS said it strives to deliver, sometime even at the risk of sustaining serious injuries and or even death.
Sadly, in the process of enforcing the laws during the year, six officers fell in the line of duty.
“While 2017 draws to an end with rich harvest of seizures and high revenue collection for the Federal Government, the service is not unmindful of the activities of unpatriotic elements that are still bent on sabotaging the fiscal policies of government, especially in the areas of rice and vehicles smuggling through the land borders.
“Accordingly, the CGC has directed sustained onslaught against smugglers especially at this festive period,” the statement released by the agency said.
However, Mr Ali, in the spirit of the season, enjoyed all stakeholders to reflect on the values of patriotism and resolve to avoid all forms of smuggling.
