Comptroller Yusuf Mallanta Ibrahim, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Area Command, this morning; Monday, 12th April 2021, briefed the press on the activities of the command for the first quarter of the year (Jan-Mar 2021). The activities included revenue collection, trade facilitation, suppression of smuggling and export trade statistics.
REVENUE COLLECTION:
According to Comptroller Yusuf the command collected the sum of one hundred and fifty-nine billion, five hundred and eighty-two million, forty-seven thousand, one hundred and thirty-four naira and eleven kobo (N159,582,047,134.11) as customs duty and other charges in the first quarter of the year (Jan-Mar. 2021). The Comptroller said this represented 44.8% increment in duty collection when compared to the revenue figure collected last year which was over 110 billion of the same corresponding months, Jan-Mar 2020. The Area Controller, while acknowledging an increase in the compliance level of traders in the area command said that the difference recorded was made possible majorly because of the robust stakeholders’ engagement, the command embarked on in the period under review as well as the resolve of his officers and men to deliigently discharge their duties.
ANTI-SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES:
Comptroller Yusuf said that within the two months of assuming leadership, the command had made significant seizures of 23 containers of various items such as unregistered pharmaceuticals like tramadol/codeine, used clothing, foreign parboiled rice with a duty paid value of seven hundred and seventy three million, eight hundred and nine thousand, six hundred and twenty naira (N773,809,620.00) between the months of February to March 2021. While the total seizure for the first quarter (Jan-Mar 2021) stands at 28 containers with a duty paid value of One billion, eight hundred and seventy-one million, nine hundred and forty-four thousand, three hundred and seventy naira (N1,871, 944, 370.00). According to Comptroller Yusuf all the importations were in breach of sections 46, 47 and 161 of the Customs and Excise Management Act CAP C 45 LFN 2004 as well as schedules 4 & 6 of the Common Tariff (CET). He then said that the cases were in various stages of investigation and that he will continue to brief the press as the investigation progresses.
EXPORT TRADE STATISTICS:
According to the Comptroller export statistics extracted from the system revealed that goods worth forty-one billion, five hundred and fifty-nine million, three hundred and seventy-eight thousand, twenty-nine kobo (N41,559,378,029) had been exported through Apapa port between January-March 2021. He said these exports included manufactured products such as soap, mineral resources, textiles, noodles, agricultural products such as cashew nuts, hibiscus, sesame seeds and other mineral resources. The total tonnage of the said export stood at 116 million tones with FOB value of one hundred and nine million, six hundred and fifty-five thousand, three hundred and fifty-one US Dollars ($109,655,351.00).
Comptroller Yusuf concluded the press briefing by appreciating all stakeholders, sister government agencies in the port and the media for their immeasurable support. He then said that the command had under his watch gone ahead to improve on existing collaboration in the area of information sharing and other areas which he said he is sure will make it more difficult for perpetrators of trade malpractice to succeed in the area command going by the success recorded so far.
While urging his officers and men to remain focused and steadfast in discharging their assigned responsibilities at any given time, Comptroller Yusuf said that the area command had also achieved enhanced ‘Customs Community Relations’, through meetings and strategic engagements with various stakeholders including importers, licensed customs agents, media and others who interface with Customs in trade supply chain.