Reps Approve Procurement Of Four New Scanners For Customs

The House of Representatives has approved the procurement of four new scanners for the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS)
The lawmakers asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to procure four scanners for the NCS, but warned the apex bank against procuring “China made scanners”.
This followed the adoption of the report of the 2021 budget of the NCS approved by the lower legislative chamber.
“That the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should as matter of urgency procure the four scanners for the Nigeria Customs Service from the best scanners manufacturers either from Germany or America but not China made scanners,” the House insisted.
The lawmakers also passed the 2021 budget of the NCS and raised the revenue target of the service for 2021 from N1.46 trillion to N1.678 trillion.
The 2021 budget for the NCS was put at N257 billion. Out of this, N137 billion was approved for capital projects, N99.7 billion for personnel cost and N19.7 billion for overhead.
The 2021 budget report was presented by the Vice Chairman, Committee on Customs, Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi),
Abejide alleged that NCS performed poorly in 2020. He also frowned at the unutilised funds of the agency.
”The committee interacted with the Controller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, and his management team, and we discovered that there was poor performance in 2020.
”We also expressed reservation about the unutilised funds of the agency. They gave the excuse that they are having difficulties with the Bureau of Public Procurement”, he said.
The House also passed the 2021 budget of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).