Senate faults customs revenue target

The Senate, on Wednesday, rejected the revenue target of the Nigeria Customs Service initially put at N1.465 trillion.
Submitting the report of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs on the revenue-generating agency 2021 Chairman of the Committee, Senator Francis Alimikhena said the Committee rejected the estimate based on “recently Assented Finance Act, 2021.”

The Senate equally premised its reservation on the expansion of Excisable Items, Excise duties of carbonated drinks; Tariff Review on Vehicles, re-opening of Border; and the prevailing exchange rate.

The Senate consequently increased the NCS Revenue Target from N1,465,345,719,428.00 (One Trillion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Five Billion, Three Hundred and Forty-Five Million, Seven Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira) to N1,678,715,061,014.00 (One Trillion, Six hundred and Seventy-Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Fifteen Million, Sixty-One Thousand and Fourteen Naira).

The Senate Committee report further gave a break down of the Revenue Target to include N1,500,096,484,401.00 from the Federation Account and N178,618,576,613.00 from Non-Federation Account.

The N257billion expenditure budget of the NCS however stirred controversy on the floor of the Red Chamber.

The breakdown include, Personnel Cost of N99,719,722,681.71, Overhead Cost of N19,530,769,000.00 and Capital Cost put at N137,933,180,013.00.

Senator representing Kebbi South, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, who incidentally is a member of the Committee faulted the budgetary allocation of N200million for maintenance of the Nigeria Customs Services aircraft which he noted has been grounded. He also picked a hole in the allocation of N180million for cleaning and fumigation.

Senator Na’Allah equally expressed surprise over N100 million approval for fuelling the same aircraft.

Former Ebonyi State governor and Senator representing Ebonyi North senatorial district, Sam Egwu said provision of N2 billion vote for welfare packages for retiring NCS officers in addition to their normal and legal retirement benefits was objectionable.

Senator Alimikhena, however, said the N2billion vote was not restricted to only officers but all the rank of the NCS.

Other approvals which caused a stir, included N90million for refreshment and meals, N30million for honorarium and sitting allowance, N30million for research, N27million for corpers’ allowance and N5million for newspapers, among others.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan however admonished Senator Alimikhena to take his Committee oversight responsibility on a revenue-generating agency like the NCS seriously.

He said: “Well, Chairman, I think you need to upscale your oversight on the Customs because these narratives that they will keep the money they will not do budget implementation is as a result of insufficient oversight.

“So we need to know this kind of things in good time, that you report back to the Senate on what is happening and you also advise them on what is appropriate and legal as far as the implementation of the budget is concerned. We are not supposed to be hearing this now, so increase your oversight.”

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