A total revenue of N78.8 billion was generated by the Tin Can Island
Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) from all its activities
in the first quarter of 2019 as against N76.7 billion in the
corresponding period of 2018.
The NCS Area Controller Mohammed Musa made this known in an interview
with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
He said the command projected an income of N84 billion during the
period under review but it generated about 94 per cent of the target.
Musa disclosed that the command was given a target of N343 billion
for 2019, but the election holidays affected the revenue in March.
He said the command is working hard to boost the revenue and surpass
the revenue generated in 2018.
According to him, the command is committed to the transformation of
revenue collection and reporting system with the implementation of
Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS).
“There is improvement on compliance in the command, mostly because of
the policies and directive from the headquarters insisting on 100 per
cent examination of imported cargo with regard to protection of the
environment.
“The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), retired Col. Hameed Ali,
has also directed that all pharmaceutical products must be cleared
from the ports, meaning that there should be no movement of
pharmaceutical products to outside terminal.
“The directive was made to control the influx of Tramadol and other
related goods imported into the country.
“The command also intercepted used tyres, second hand clothing and six
containers of foreign parboiled rice in the period under review,” Musa
said.
He reiterated that the command would work hard to make the second
quarter revenue generation better than the first quarter.
The command’s boss said that there were relative peace and calm in the
command due to the high level engagement, adding that its doors are
open to interpretation at all times.
“If the agents need clarification on service, they get in touch with
our officers and the command had also established a Dispute Resolution
Committee which comprises all the unit heads in the command.
“We also have a Help Desk, which I am the Chairman and the command
Public Relations Officer, Uche Ejesieme, is the Deputy Chairman of the
desk.
“The Committee on Dispute Resolution takes care of challenges and if
the issue is not solved by the committee, then it would be transferred
to the Help Desk and all issues are expected to be resolved in a few
hours,” he said.
He said that the idea of the introduction of the Resolution Committee
and Help Desk was to facilitate trade, adding that any delay in the
release of cargo could affect the whole Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Musa, however, said that the command was creating competitiveness in
the environment, adding that it had few arrests in the period under
review and the suspects are helping in the investigations.