Business
Customs Posts N16.2bn At Lagos Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island, Lagos Port Command, said recently that it collected N16.2 billion revenue in February.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Chris Osunkwo, said this in an interview with The Tide and explained that the amount collected was N3 billion lower than what was collected in the corresponding month of 2012.
He attributed the decrease to the delay in signing the 2013 budget.
“Naturally, at the beginning, because of the delay in signing the budget, the international traders are wary or skeptical, not knowing which way the budget would go.
“But there is this feeling for them to wait and see what would happen before they can embark on imports in the New Year.
“So we had the spillover from last year imports in December and January. In fact, the actual imports for this year start in February.
“So, as a result, there is this natural drop in cargo throughout and that is from our experience, what can be said to be responsible for the slight difference in revenue generated for the month.”
Osunkwo said that the command also made seizures valued at N24.8 million between January and February, adding that eight containers and a vehicle were seized in the process.
He said that the containers seized had items such as tissue paper, furniture, soap, vegetable oil, soft drinks, used clothes, generators, and used tyres in them.
He urged genuine importers to patronise the Tin-Can Island port, saying that the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Dr Abdullahi Dikko had pledged to provide import incentives there.