Despite declining trade volumes at seaports, the Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Friday last week, recorded another revenue collection milestone by generating N16,021,660,412.00 in a day.
This figure has become the highest daily revenue collection in the history of the command surpassing N11.3billion collected on November 22nd, 2023, and the N10billion on August 3rd, 2023.
Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba who described the feat as one of the expected fallouts of the many strategies he has put in place, urged officers and men of the command to keep up the tempo of zero tolerance for infractions and non compromise for any violation of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.
His words: “The laudable revenue collection in the face of declined volume of trade was achieved as a result of weekly strategy meetings between the CAC and sectional heads to review and evaluate success and challenges with a view to continually improving on the command’s achievements.”
“There have also been more regular stakeholder engagments between the command, sister government agencies, importers, exporters, terminal operators, and all others involved in the cargo clearance and supply chain.”
Under Comptroller Jaiyeoba, however, there has been a remarkable improvement in the number of containers being scanned to save time and operate in line with the expectations of modern customs administration.
While commending the officers of the command for their dedication to duty exemplified through punctuality and integrity, the Area Controller urged importers, licensed customs agents and freight forwarders to embrace scanning the more as the NCS under CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR is committed to maximum deployment of ICT for trade facilitation.
He described sincere declaration as a mark of integrity that saves time and money, resulting in a win-win situation for everyone. According to him, not making sincere declaration is poor business decision capable of causing delays, leading to issuance of demand notices and denying the declarants of the benefits of enjoying fast track and possible migration to Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.
This information was disseminated via a press statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Abubakar Usman.
