The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has lamented the high level of non-compliance with import, export processes in the country, putting the value of seized goods between 2009 and 2014 at N41 billion.
This was stated yesterday by the deputy comptroller general of customs, Musa Tahir, while speaking at a one-day Customs, Textile Forum held at the agency’s Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada.
He noted that with the dwindling oil revenue there’s more emphasis than before on the customs to collect revenue.
To this end, he said the service has put in place measures which include the automation of its clearance process, the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), post clearance audit, amongst others to block leakages and shore up revenue. Tahir said these efforts put in place by the comptroller-general of customs, Abdullahi Dikko, has resulted to a total of 34,485 seizures with duty paid value of N41 billion between 2009 and 2014.
While decrying the less than 20 per cent trading compliant level in the country and the resources needed to fight smuggling, Tahir said that the 7 per cent collection cost statutorily given the agency as funding was insufficient.
He said, “What we have by way of the 7 per cent cost of collection is not enough. Fighting smugglers is serious business; in some climes the customs will have a series of jets, sea vessels and cameras. We thank government for what we have but apart from the 7 per cent cost of collection, if we could have more we would be able to do more.”
Source : Leadership