2019: Tin Can Customs Controller Attributes N346.5bn Revenue, Increase in Exports to Transformational Agenda
By Francis Ugwoke
The Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Tuesday announced a revenue generation of N346.5bn for the month of 2019.
The Customs Controller for the Command, Mr Mba Musa said the figure is N4.2bn more than the annual target of N342.3bn for 2019 and more than the figure generated in 2018 which was N343.5b.
The figure for 2019 was N2.9bn more than the figure collected in 2018.
The revenue figures were contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Mr Uche Ejesieme.
According to the Controller, a transformational agenda adopted by the Command was responsible for the 2019 performance level.
He said, “This performance came on the heels of implementation of series of transformational agenda and Standard Operating Procedure’s (SOP) developed to facilitate trade without compromising the extant provisions. The fact remains that the command was able to create templates and blueprints that guided it’s actions in line with the mission and vision of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali Rtd and his management”.
On export, Musa said the Command embarked on sensitization of stakeholders and would be exporters on the need to take advantage of the potentials inherent in export.
Following this, the Command recorded an increase in the quantity of export in 2019 with a total tonnage of 269,819.5 tons with a total FOB value of N130,186,894,481.00 as against the total tonnage of 254,762.77 tons with a total FOB value N145,322,990,396.00) exported in 2018.
He promised that the command will continue to sensitize and encourage export as a means of attaining balance of trade for the interest of the nation.
The Controller also disclosed that during the year, the Command effected a total seizure of 16x40ft, 37x20ft (53 containers) and 3 non-containerized Cargoes.
The seizures include rice, used tyres, pharmaceuticals, vegetable oil, military accoutrements e.t.c with a total DPV of N5,876,465,640.00.
“If compared with 2018 seizures, it indicates a recorded improvement from the seizures of 14x40ft, 2x20ft (16 Containers) and 5 uncontainerised others ranging from bales of second hand clothing, furniture, children toys, used bags and shoes, expired medicaments, used tyres, used fridges e.t.c with a total DPV of N2,883,531,500.00 recorded during the prevailing year of 2018”, the statement said.
On trade facilitation, the Controller said the Command exhibited eloquent testimony and renewed enthusiasm to enhance efficiency during the period.
For this, he said the Command articulated various Trade Facilitation initiatives, which have been instituted as part of our Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) including the use of barge for movement of cargo.
“Accordingly, the Command developed a more cordial working relationship with the Critical Stakeholder through constant Engagement.
Similarly, a re-invigorated Dispute Resolution Committee was constituted to deal expeditiously with disputes arising from Valuation, Classification, PAAR, Rules of Origin
etc. Importers or their Agents are encouraged to take advantage of the availability of Bond facility to take delivery of their consignments where disputes persisted.
Further to the above is the “TIME RELEASE STUDIES” a means of assessing the performance of officers in the 48hours Cargo Clearance Trade Value Chain, with the aim of identifying areas of avoidable delays by the personnel and ways of forestalling it.
Added to these is a re-engineered help desk, domiciled in the office of the PRO, where inquiries are channeled and when such inquiries are beyond the scope of the PR Unit, it is escalated to the CAC.
The last but not the least is the ONE STOP SHOP – a facility where all alerts/interventions emanating from Q & A, CIU, Valuation, compliance/strike force would be synchronized with a bid to ensuring that issues are resolved without going through unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks”.
On capacity building, the statement reads: “As part of measures to increase the efficiency and capacity of the operations, the Command took steps to develop a training curriculum that is germane to the operations of the Service. Some of the trainings includes but not limited to Data Analysis, NICIS II Awareness, Skill GAP and Profiling Training, End-User Certificate Requirements and Documents, Bond Seat Training, Valuation and Classification Courses etc.
In the light of the above, another set of newly promoted 13 Deputy Comptrollers and 13 Assistant Comptrollers in the Command, are currently undergoing a training programme that is targeted at familiarizing them with their new schedules and developing the needed skill sets, such trainings will remain regular”.
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Among the challenges identified by the Command was the issue of poor access and road infrastructure, lack of Government Warehouse facility, non availability of operational equipment by the Terminal Operators among others, lack of scanners.
“Similarly to the above was the removal of some Terminals that were hitherto under the Command, this affected the volume of cargo handled by the Command and by implication the revenue accruable to the command.
These and many more contributed to the operational limitations, absence of which the Command would have achieved even more. The importance of conducive working environment cannot be over emphasized”.
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