Customs Vows To Meet N1.2trn Target

In a bid to meet the
N1.2 trillion revenue target which it set for itself in 2014, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has so far made N950.1 billion between January and November.
This was made known by the Area Controller, Apapa One Command, Comptroller Charles Edike, during the inauguration of the new executive council of Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).
The collected revenue increased by 23.4 per cent or N180.8 billion compared to N769.3 billion generated last year by the service.
Edike said that the service has also saved the country N36.9 billion representing the one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) charges on import paid to service providers since it took over the Destination Inspection Scheme in December last year.
On the effect of the Pre Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) on Nigeria’s economy, he said the service was able to overcome the initial challenges as it has so far received 201,330 requests for PAAR out of which 188,424 were finally released and 108, 169 uplifted with a total Cost, Insurance and freight (CIF) of N5.6 trillion.
According to him, the newly adopted procedure has not only increased the revenue profile of the service but has helped in reducing the cost and time of goods clearance, as well as facilitate trade.
He noted that the biggest challenge of the new clearance procedure is lack of compliance to trade regulations by importers, adding that so far, a total of 14,259 PAAR have been rejected.
The Customs boss noted that the service has gained the recognition of the World Customs Organisation as a result of the successes recorded by the Nigeria Customs since the introduction of PAAR.