Apapa Customs records N23.4bn in January

Amid low business activity in Nigeria’s economy, which has largely affected the volume of imported commodities, the Apapa Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said it collected the sum of N23.4 billion as revenue for the month of January 2016.

Speaking at the monthly stakeholders’ meeting in the command, Willy Egbudin, area controller of the command said that the amount was a slight improvement from the N20.7 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2015.

“So far, I do not think that our command is doing badly even though we are not meeting the target but I believe that it is good start given the current economic situation. We pray that we will exceed N400 to N500 billion our annual revenue for 2016,” he said.

According to him, the command, which collected a total of N301 billion in the year 2014 and N288 in 2015, is committed to ensuring that the Apapa Command meets the target set for it in 2016.

While appealing with clearing agents and importers to embrace transparency in their transactions and comply with trade facilitation, he added that the command is starting on the right path to ensure that the service actualises its revenue target in 2016.

Continuing, he said: “You know that Apapa Area command is the flagship of customs service and if the service is to get it right that means this command must get it right and if we are not getting it right, that means other commands will not get it right as well.”

Egbudin however admitted that there has been a sharp drop in importation but believed that with honest and transparent declaration, the target of N1.1 trillion set aside for the service in 2016, would be achieved.