Apapa Customs Increases H1’19 Revenue by 14.9%, Hits N203bn in 6 months

By Oko Ebuka

The Apapa Area Command of Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, has collected a total of N203 billion, representing 14.9 percent in the first six months of 2019 against N176.7 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2018.

In a statement signed by the Customs Area Comptroller, CAC, Mohammed Abba Kura said that the collection represents 54.5 percent of the Command’s annual revenue target.

Disclosing this to Vanguard Maritime Report during a media briefing, the Customs Area Comptroller, CAC, of the Apapa Area Command, Muhammed Abba-Kura, said that within the period under review, the Command made a total seizure of 29 containers of various items that contradicted import procedures.

According to him, “all the listed items have breached the federal government fiscal policy measures for 2018/2019”, he said.

He went further to reveal that the success was achievable due to the diligence of the officers in patrol and assured the public that the command will keep on focusing on trade facilitation and capacity building.

“The command will facilitate speedily legitimate, compliant and all trade that have satisfied the necessary procedures concerning the transaction. All such consignments will get accelerated clearance out of the customs system.

“The command will continue to build on the capacity programmes for both officers and stakeholders operating within the command to acquaint them with modern trends, government fiscal policies as well as Nigerian Customs Information System, NICIS II, operative systems”, he added.

The Command also recorded a total of 95,229.15 metric tons of exported goods with Free On Board, FOB, value of N14.2billion of which most of them were agricultural and mineral products.

The seized items with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N418 million, include; tramadol, tomato paste, vegetable oil, ladies and girls’ fashion footwear, among others.