The Apapa Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday revealed that in the year 2021, the export of non-oil commodities rose to 110 percent, with the Lagos ports witnessing the export of 5,880,000 metric tons compared to the 1,300,000 tonnage recorded in 2020. This is even as the Command revealed that for the year 2022, the Service has been given a revenue target of N4.1 trillion by the Federal Government.
Addressing maritime journalists in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Customs Command, Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim, added that the Command in 2021 also made a total of 103 seizures with a Duty Paid Value of N31,227,431,225.00.
According to the Apapa Customs Controller, “The revenue target of the NCS has been increased to N4.1 trillion. For us in Apapa Area Command, we have already boarded and fastened our seats towards the realization of this revenue target. We hope that the service will surely leverage the deployment of digital transformation of Customs business processes which will further take care of many control mechanisms through its risk management system.
“In spite of the enormous challenges faced in the trade supply chain; occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic still ravaging economies around the world, high cost of freight, incessant traffic gridlock, rail construction through the port, as well as ensuring an increase in compliance level from stakeholders, the Command between the months of January to December 2021 was able to collect a revenue of N870,388,340,650.65 and remitted to the federation and non-federation accounts of the Federal Government, respectively.
“This clearly shows that the revenue profile of the command has significantly increased by about 68% when compared with the collection of N518.4 billion in the year 2020.
“For anti-smuggling, the command made a total of 103 seizures with Duty Paid Value of N31,227,431,225.00. Worthy of mention here is the seizure of 46.55 kg of cocaine concealed on vessels Mv Karteria and MV Chayanee Naree laden with raw sugar.
“Some of the seized items include containers of foreign parboiled rice, tomato paste, secondhand clothes, unregistered pharmaceuticals like captagon pills, tramadol, codeine syrup, etc. These were seizures made in accordance with provision sections 46, 47 and 161 of CEMA (Customs and Excise Management act) CAP C45 LFN 2004.
“For export, sustained trade facilitation strategies put in place had a positive impact on export trade through Apapa port. In the year under review, the command recorded a boom in the exportation of non-oil commodities with about a 110 percent increase in tonnage above the figure of the year 2020.
“Statistics from the export unit showed that goods with a total tonnage of about five million, three hundred and eighty metric tons were exported in the year 2021, as against one million, three hundred metric tons exported in 2020.
“The Free on Board (FOB) value for the exported items also rose from $340 million in the year 2020 to $641 million US dollars in 2021. The Naira equivalent of the exported goods stood at over N245 billion naira. Items exported include steel bars, agricultural and mineral products, among others. This feat was achieved through the Federal Government policy and export incentives schemes occasioned by the service facilitation and automation of NXP and CCI.
“The Customs has achieved a robust industrial harmony with all government agencies in the Apapa port, especially our host the NPA, other sister agencies (the DSS, NAFDAC, NDLEA, SON, Port Police), as well as shipping lines and terminal operators whose tremendous contribution has been a great success in the outgone year. We look forward to strengthened collaboration and synergy in this prosperous and glorious new year 2022.
“On this note, on behalf of the officers and men of Apapa Area Command, we extend our profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) and his management team for their continuous support and encouragement towards the realization of this goal.
“Finally, I wish to use this medium to thank our valuable stakeholders most sincerely in the clearance value chain, government agencies operating in the port and the media for their unalloyed support. We will reiterate the need for their cooperation to move the Command and the service to greater heights.”
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