The Onne Area command of the Nigeria Customs Service in Rivers State has said that it is determined to raise the revenue target of the year 2016 to 90 per cent, inspite of the economic challenge, before the end of the year.

So far, the command has raked in a total of N70 billion, out of the N131 billion revenue target given to it by the federal government.

Making this known while speaking to newsmen at the Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwe, the Comptroller of the command Babani Abdulahi said the economic challenge and the attendant difficulties in getting foreign exchange for importers, has greatly affected the efforts of his men at meeting the set revenue target for the year.

He explained that the volume of trade at the ports has been greatly affected by the economic recession in the country, adding that such has equally affected the revenue that is being charged on goods imported, which has grossly been reduced.

According to him, the duty of the customs at Onne has to do with import evaluation and quantification of items imported, so as to ascertain the right revenue that would be charged or collected on each imported items.

Abdulahi also disclosed that his command has so far made seizures of goods this year, because many importers contravened the law on importation.

He said that it would be mere wickedness for his command to go on arbitrary seizures when there was no cause to do so.

The Onne customs boss, however commended his men for their gallantry in the discharge of their duties in the past one year, and appealed to those who do businesses in the zone to always conduct themselves properly to enable customs serve them well and meet its set target, just as it reaslised N102 billion out of N104 billion in 2015.