Customs Sets N193bn Weekly Target Of N2.3trn At Apapa Port

Source: New Telegraph
Author: Bayo Akomolafe

The Nigeria Customs service (NCS), Apapa Command, has set a monthly standard of N193 billion target to meet its 2024 revenue target of N2. 3trillion. It was learnt that the sum of N44 billion was being set as weekly target and N8.9 billion as a daily target. Between January and March, 2024, the command earned the sum of N489.61 billion Apapa Port.

The amount was 100 per cent higher than the N212.5 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2023 and it was 36.3 per cent of the total earnings of the service in the first quarter of 2024 which stood at N1.35 trillion. The Area Comptroller of the Apapa command, Babatunde Olomu, said that a number of measures to further consolidate the achievements of his predecessor in order to take the rev- enue performance of the command to the next level had been embarked on.

Towards this, the command has set monthly, weekly and daily revenue targets for its revenue officers to energise them toward meeting the N2.3 trillion 2024 target. It was learnt that in the first quarter of the year, the command surpassed its target for that period, while in the month of April, it generated N182 billion, however in May, the revenue dropped due to some challenges as it collected N175 billion.

However, Olomu has set a target of N200 billion for the month of June, noting that service was seriously working towards the target. According to him, "we are confident of achieving it due to the diligence and dedication of our revenue officers who are constantly being kept on their toes by the CAC and the headquarters" a source close to the crack revenue team of the command, whispered to our reporter.

He stressed that the command had plugged a lot of revenue leakages and made a lot of interventions which keep its revenue increasing without impeding trade, adding that Customs was doing everything to facilitate genuine transactions by compliant traders. The comptroller added: "We know the high propensity of an average Nigerian trader to evade duty payment. So, we do a lot of scanning and physical examinations without necessarily compromising trade facilita- tion.

"Because of our diligence and thoroughness in checking declarations and consignments through the use of non-intrusive technology (scanning) and physical examinations, noncompliant traders are not comfortable. As a result, some of them resort to blackmail and all sorts of antics to compromise and dampen the morale of our revenue officers without success. "We raised a lot of queries on suspicious consignments but without wasting time to ensure that importers and their agents make honest declarations.

So, a compliant trader has no reason to be apprehensive at the com- mand." Also, Olomu explained that the command had initiated a programme that will encourage the maximum use of barges to evacuate cargo from the port. Also, he has commenced an engagement with barge operators and terminal operators to enhance the use of barges. On the issue of alerts on cargo, the command said it was a means of flagging any cargo whose owner either wants to evade payment of duties or engage in under payment.