Kaduna: Customs Generates N9bn in Four Months

The Zonal Coordinator, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone B, Mr. Udo Emmanuel, has said that the zone has generated over N9 billion from January to April 2018.

Emmanuel, an Assistant Controller General (ACG), made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna.

”We generated over N2.5 billion in January, over N2.2 billion in February and it then rose to over N2.3 billion in March and dropped to over N2.2 billion in April,” he said.

He attributed the inconsistencies in the revenue generation to lack of serious economic activities in the zone and the introduction of the new automated revenue platform by the Customs service.

“The reason for revenue drop in April particularly in Kaduna and Kano dry ports is because Customs introduced NISES 2, which is an automated system of collecting and computing revenue which is usually enhanced yearly,” he stressed.

Emmanuel noted that the revenue platform was upgraded yearly to avoid loopholes used by agents to exploit and defraud government in revenue collection.

While speaking on seizures, the ACG stated that the Zone made about 528 seizures and 38 arrests during the period under review.

“In January, the Zone had 103 seizures with 10 suspects and a duty paid value of over N157 million. In the month of February, we had 175 seizures with 11 suspects and a duty paid value of over N313 million while in March, we had 160 seizures with 12 suspects and a duty paid value of over N164 million and lastly in April, we had 90 seizures with five suspects arrested and duty value of about N95 million,” he said.

He further stated that the total amount of the duty paid value of the seizures made in the first quarter of the year stood at over N773 million.

He said that the Customs Service, with the support of the federal government, had reduced smuggling activities to the bearest minimum.