Customs

Again, Apapa Customs Command sets new revenue record, collects N86b in October

Eyewitness reporter

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service has continued to break revenue frontiers with its humongous collection of ₦86 billion for the month of October 2021.

This feat was achieved despite initial glitches that slowed its operations

According to the press statement signed by Abubakar Usman, the Public Relations Officer on behalf of Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Yusuf Ibrahim Malanta, the tempo of increase in revenue collection is being sustained through the volume of trade and strategies put in place by Comptroller Yusuf.

The CAC achieved this milestone by raising stakeholders’ compliance level and inter-agency collaborations between Apapa Customs Command and other government agencies.

A breakdown of the total collection shows federation and non-federation figures thus:

Figures under the federation account are as follows:

Import duty at ₦38,436,536,897.00;

Excise duty at ₦199,038,533.00;

CET Levy at ₦5,625,077,502.00; and

Fees at ₦401,830,622.00.

All of these come in at a subtotal of N44,662,483,554.00.

Figures for the Non-federation Account are as follows:

Port Levy at ₦2,690,572,938.00;

NAC at ₦165,872,139.00;

1% CISS at ₦4,612,963,465.00;

0.5% ETLS at ₦2,688,286,656.00;

Sugar Levy at ₦598,518,814.00;

Wheat Flour Levy at ₦488,959.00;

Iron Levy at ₦47,220,994.00;

Wheat Grain Levy at ₦7,892,567,890.00;

Ness Levy at ₦102,989,524.77.

All of these at a sub-total of ₦18,799,481,379.77.

For Value added tax the command collected ₦22,560,783,616.00 leading to a grand total of ₦86,022,748,549.77.

While commending most port users and stakeholders for their increasing level of compliance, Comptroller Yusuf urged them to continually avoid unlawful activities such as concealments with intent to smuggle; false declaration and undervaluation to evade accurate duty payments.

According to him, any importation that runs contrary to the provisions of sections 46 and 47 of Customs and Excise Management Act CAP C45 LFN 2004 and Customs and Excise Notices No.1491 will not be allowed into the country.

He said the command will not compromise wherever and whenever the need arises to make arrests and seizures for infractions deserving of such actions

He further charged the command’s compliance team to maintain their zero-tolerance for infractions as a way of protecting the national economy.

The CAC also described the inter-agency collaborations between Apapa Customs and other government agencies as an operational masterstroke yielding great results.

With reference to recent joint seizures of 32.9kg of cocaine uncovered in a vessel, MV Cha Yanee Naree, in Apapa Port in October and 74.119kg of captagon pills hidden in various components of machine parts which were seized in September, Comptroller Yusuf lauded the sustained intelligence sharing between the command and sister agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Police, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army and others.

He said only importers and agents who either want to smuggle or evade duty payments will fault the command and its growing synergies with other agencies which are strengthened through collaborations.

He also advised all importers and agents to take advantage of the one-stop shop compliance and dispute resolution mechanism aimed at achieving trade facilitation without compromising national revenue and security.

It would be recalled the command, under the control of Comptroller Yusuf, has been recording an increasing collection of revenues that surpass preceding months, thus setting new records which are being surpassed on a monthly basis.

For instance, the command realised the sum of N55billion in April which was then regarded as a record collection but surpassed this figure in June with the sum of N78billion considered as the highest in the history of the command and the highest revenue collected in a single month by any Customs command.

This record was again broken in October revenue collection with N86billion.

The total revenue collected by the command in the first quarter of 2021 was N159billion while it collected the sum of N366billion in the first six months of 2021.

Customs

Dog eats dog as Customs officer shoots colleague at border

SC Muhammad Sayyadi, the victim officer

The eyewitness reporter

A Customs officer, wielding a gun at the checkpoint in Garki local government in Jigawa state, had inadvertently opened fire on his colleague.

The incident, which happened at the weekend, sent a shock wave throughout the customs service as the victim was a Jigawa prince who is serving at the Lagos command of the service.

It was gathered that the culprit, who was among the personnel at the checkpoint, had opened fire on a vehicle coming from the neighboring Niger Republic but whose driver refused to stop when he was flagged down.

Upon inquiry to identify the occupants of the vehicle, it was discovered that the driver of the vehicle who was shot was a Customs officer, SC Muhammad Sayyadi, serving at the Lagos State Command.

He is said to be the son of one of the five first-class emirs in Jigawa, the Emir of Ringim, HRH Dr. Sayyadi Abubakar Mahmud.

The spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service Kano/Jigawa Area Command, SC Nura Saidu, confirmed the incident in a statement.

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragic event, and we extend our deepest empathy to the family and friends of the victim,” he said.

Saidu said the command is investigating to determine the causes of the incident.

“As a Service, we equally assure you that the management will fully investigate the incident to determine the causes and circumstances.

“Our top priority is the well-being and safety of the victim and the larger community at this difficult time.
“We would like to remind everyone that the Service rests utmost importance on responsible firearm handling.

“Accidental shootings are preventable tragedies, as all officers are consciously trained to secure and only use their firearms in (an) appropriate and controlled environment.

“We will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available,” Mr Sa’idu said.

It was gathered that other victims in the vehicle were admitted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, and are responding to treatment.

Customs

Zainab Ahmed, Finance minister, lists achievements as chairman of Customs Board

Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance and Chairman, Customs board

—–as Customs board confirms appointment of Malanta Yusuf and 14 others as ACGs, 5 DCGs

The eyewitness reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) during its 57th regular meeting chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed has confirmed the appointment of five (5) Deputy Comptroller Generals (DCGs) and fifteen (15) Assistant Comptroller Generals (ACGs).

Among the appointment confirmed was Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf, as ACG Training and Coordination.

The meeting of the board, which confirmed the appointment, was held on Thursday 4th May 2023 at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters, Abuja.

The details of the confirmation are as follows:

Deputy Comptroller Generals

M ABBA-KURA DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation, AG SAIDU DCG Human Resource Development

JP AJOKU DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives, BA ADENIYI DCG Strategic Research and Policy, GA ITOTOH DCG/Commander Training and Doctrine Command

The Assistant Comptroller Generals include O PETERS ACG/Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘C’, AI ALFA ACG Strategic Research and Policy

HJ SWOMEN ACG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives, KC EGWUH ACG Doctrine Development and Administration Command, MBA MUSA ACG Tariff and Trade

A DAPPA-WILLIAMS ACG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation, BM JIBO ACG Headquarters,A HAMISU ACG/Commandant Nigeria Customs Command & Staff College, Y SALIHU ACG Finance & Admin

MI YUSUF ACG Training and Coordination, SA BOMAI ACG Board

CK NIAGWAN ACG Technical Services, KI ADEOLA ACG ICT/Modernization

IO BABALOLA ACG/Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘D’, BU NWAFOR ACG Human Resource Development

The Honorable Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning expressed delight at the outcome of her stewardship of the Nigeria Customs Service Board.

“It has been a very interesting and educative experience for me as the Chairperson of the Nigeria Customs Service Board.

“We have seen significant improvement in the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service during this process.

“We had cause to get several approvals for the Service including enhancement of the remuneration of the staff, and improvement in terms of cost of collections for the Nigeria Customs Service.

“We have also been able to complete the process toward the realization of the rollout of the Trade Modernization Project.

“These are all fundamental building blocks that are going to work positively towards enhancing and modernizing the whole of the Nigeria Customs Service in line with the requirements of the World Customs Organization and other protocols that Nigeria is committed to.”

Addressing the future generation of Customs Officers, the NCSB Chairperson emphasized the engagement of young officers, including women in the Service.

In a related development, the board has also approved the implementation of a Competency-Based Accelerated Career Progression Plan (CBACPP).

The plan is a proactive strategy designed to close the generational gap that could lead to a leadership vacuum in the higher hierarchies of the Nigeria Customs Service if not addressed.

The Board also expressed pleasure over the recent enactment of the new Customs Act into law.

To facilitate a seamless transition, the Board has made plans to organize a retreat for the Board Members and expand the Management of NCS.

Following the retreat, a stakeholder education and engagement forum will be launched to inform the public about the provision of the new Act and the corresponding compliance requirement.

The aim is to ensure clarity and understanding among stakeholders, enabling them to adapt to the new regulations effectively.

Also, the effective date for the full implementation of the New Act is a priority that will be addressed in due course.

Meanwhile, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) CFR congratulates the newly appointed Officers and charged them to work diligently for a better and prosperous Service.

He emphasized the importance of their roles in achieving the Service’s core functions of revenue collection, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation.

Customs

Exclusive! KLT capacity is underutilised by 80 per cent through low cargo volume—-Bomodi

Cmptroller Timi Bomodi

The Eyewitness reporter

The new Customs Area Comptroller of Kirikiri Lighter Terminal(KLT), Comptroller Timi Bomodi, has identified gross under-utilization of the command as one of its core challenges that his administration is tirelessly working to correct.

Bomodi, who resumed duties in the off-dock facility as its CAC in February 2023, said the terminal has an installed capacity for over 6000 20-footer equivalent units but currently doing less than 10 percent.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our reporter in his office Wednesday, Bomodi lamented that despite the strategic position of the terminal for ease of cargo evacuation, poor communication of its benefits to importers and their agents has rubbed the facility off the required patronage from would-be customers.

He also identified apathy among the shipping companies to use the terminal despite its inherent advantages of speed and cost-effectiveness, a situation he blamed on the low cargo inflow to the terminal.

” Kirikirio Lighter terminal is mainly an off-dock facility. It doesn’t receive vessels directly, nor does it receive cargo through transfer from other ports. Occasionally, we get transfers by Lighters through one of our bonded warehouses.

”The major challenge we have here is a challenge of traffic, getting more cargo into the terminal.

”The total capacity of the command is over 6000 20-footer equivalent units. But right now, we are not even doing up to 10 percent of that. And when you have facilities that are vast but underutilized, then it is an issue.

”I feel there is poor communication of the strategic importance of the KLT

”A lot of importers and their agents don’t know that it is easier to import through KLT than most other ports.

”It is easier in the sense that after all Customs procedures, which are the same at all Customs Commands, it is easier for trucks to come into the command and take the goods out, which is not so with most ports in Lagos due to the chaotic transport situation and the queueing system.

”You have an electronic call-up system in the other two major ports and that creates a lot of time lag before your trucks come in and you take your goods out. We don’t have those challenges here and because of that, we believe importers will be better served in a place like KLT because of the short time it takes to get your goods out” disclosed Bomodi.

He lamented that despite these inherent advantages, the command is experiencing a low volume of cargo. This according to him leads to underutilization of the terminal and underperformance of the officers whom he said are well-trained, equipped and properly motivated.

”The officers we have here are just like other officers we have in other commands: well-trained, well equipped and highly motivated to work but grossly underutilized. So as far as Customs procedure goes, we are just like any other conventional port.

”The only thing we don’t have here is a scanning machine. Everything is done manually, physical examination. But that is not an impediment to the facilitation of trade because as I said, we have the space, equipment and well-motivated officers to make the examination process fast and seamless.”, the CAC claimed.

He also claimed that the command has a well robust export terminal which is now operational and connected to the Customs server.

”We also have an advantage for exports. As I mentioned earlier, it is easier for people to come into the terminal and take out their cargo because, in this command, traffic is not so bad on this axis compared to others. So if somebody wants to export his goods through the command, it is a lot easier to do so.

”Right now, we have an export terminal called Tesic that is now operational and connected to the Customs server. This export terminal has the space, they have the capacity to process large volumes of exports through the command.

So there are so many advantages that you get from using this place and we want a lot of people to know about it so that we can have an increase in traffic.

Bomodi however said it is not in his place as a Customs officer to woo importers to the command as his main job is to facilitate customs processes.

”It is not in my place to woo anybody. As a Customs officer, my primary responsibility is to attend to the business of Customs in this Command.

”We only highlight the challenges such as the underutilization of the critical assets in the command because we know we can do a lot more than we are presently doing.

”And that the importers and their agents need to be aware of the advantage of doing business in the command and that they need to know that they will save cost and time by using the command.

”The longer it takes to take goods out of the port, the more expensive it is because of the charges such delays will accrue on the goods from the shipping companies and terminal operators”

Bomodi thumbed his chest that it takes a maximum of 48 hours to exit goods outside the terminal after all customs processes have been completed without any issue.

”In KLT, the significant amount of such extra costs can be eliminated because it only takes a maximum of 48 hours to clear your goods from the command if there are no issues.

He, however, believed that the decision to move cargo from one point to the other is not necessarily that of the command, but that of shipping companies.

”The shipping companies, by virtue of their work processes, value time and want a quick turnaround of the vessels and return of their containers. So all these factors will be taken into consideration before they ship cargo into any port.

”Then you wonder why the shipping companies are not taking maximum advantage of a place like KLT because ordinarily, they should. It makes more sense for them to do so.

”Why are they not making use of the command? Well, that is the question you should ask them because I don’t know.

”We have quite a few shipping companies servicing this place such as MSC, Maesrsk and others and you know a good number of them come in by transire and they do this in trickles. If we can get them to do a lot more, then everybody will benefit from it.”

”Shipping companies make their money from the hiring of their boxes, containers are like buildings. They make more money from the high turnover of how the containers are rented out to more people rather than tying them for a longer period with few customers.

”The business process of these shipping companies encourages the use of such places like KLT but I don’t know why they are not using it and that is what you have to ask them”Bomodi bemoaned.

He however acknowledged the negative impact of the low traffic volume on the revenue profile of the command

”Of course, it does. The fewer the cargo, the less revenue we are likely to generate. But this does not mean we are not working tirelessly to block all revenue loopholes.

”Our poor revenue generation is a reflection of the low level of cargo at the command and that is what we have to deal with.

Bomodi disclosed that the command has a revenue target of N60 billion for the year 2023 but was hopeful of meeting the projection despite the daunting challenges confronting the KLT.

”We do believe that as the traffic improves, so also our revenue will scale up.

”Our revenue target for this year is about a billion. We can only be optimistic about meeting the target in the face of the daunting challenges I have just enumerated.

”We can’t afford not to be optimistic. We do hope and pray that things will change for the better because the year so far has been very turbulent in terms of trade, especially between January to this period, a lot of things have taken place which have affected cargo volume in particular and the economy in general and our operations cannot be separated from these economic challenges in the country.

”Hopefully, by the time the new administration is sworn in and there is stability in the system, this will likely lead to an upsurge in the economic activities in the county which will in turn positively affect our operations, Bomodi enthused.