APM Terminals to support Customs’ revenue collection drive

APM Terminals Apapa, the Danish terminal operator in charge of Apapa container terminal, has assured the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of its support in enhancing the collection of tariffs, duties and other levies on imports and exports, towards diversifying the economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue.

Andrew Dawes, managing director of APM Terminals Apapa gave the assurance when Willy Egbudin, new Customs Area Controller of Apapa Area 1 Command of NCS, visited the terminal last week.

Dawes also said APM Terminals remains committed to the facilitation and enhancement of trade. “We are fully committed to providing service towards ensuring smooth operation at the port. APMT is fully aligned with your ambitions and will support trade growth, which drives the revenue collection of Customs.”

He said APM Terminals, as an international container terminal operator, employs the most modern and technologically advanced terminal handling equipment available in the world. “We are dedicated to setting standards for efficiency, safety and sustainability geared towards supporting Nigeria’s drive for economic diversification and growth,” he said. Egbudin further solicited the cooperation of APM Terminals in enhancing revenue collection at the Command.

“Revenue generation is paramount to the Service especially at this time when the federal government’s budget is based on non-oil revenue. So, a lot of emphasis is going to be placed on the amount of revenue Customs’ generates into the government coffers. All eyes are on Apapa as the flagship of Nigeria Customs to ensure that the service meet its target,” he said.

In a related development, Egbudin told importers and freight forwarders to make genuine declarations of their goods and also report any officer that tries to extort them during the process of clearing.

While emphasing genuine declaration as a means of checking revenue loss, Egbudin said that his command is determined to ensure enforcement of honest declaration of cargoes to ensure the Federal Government did not lose revenue to none complying importers.

Recall, President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the intention of enacting policies that would focus on diversifying Nigeria’s economy from oil to other sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

Uzoamaka Anagor-Ewuzie