Customs to generate N10bn worth of duty from detained Kano textiles

Following the recent fiscal policy review that removes textile from import prohibi- tion list, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has perfected plans to allow the importers of the detained textile in Kano to pay duty and take delivery of their consignment.

In statement signed by Wale Adeniyi, public relations officer of NCS, a special task force comprising operatives of Customs and the Economic and Financial Crimes Com- mission (EFCC) set up to handle the detained imports is expected to rake in N10 bil- lion into government coffers from the consignment.

The service has com- menced assessment of Cus- toms duty and other charges on textile materials, Adeniyi said.

The imported items are currently discharged in warehouses sealed by Customs in various areas of Kano metropolis.

According to him, the directive to collect duty on the textile products was given by Dikko Inde Abdullahi, the comptroller-general of Cus- toms, following consultations with the Federal Government
and importers of the items.

The statement said that 14 importers, who turned up for assessment and duty pay- ment for their goods valued at about N1.5 billion in the first warehouse opened for the exercise, were expected to pay a combined import duty of N373,307,242.16.

“The as- sessment also showed that the goods are liable to the fol- lowing additional charges: 7 percent surcharge; 1 percent CISS levy; 0.5 percent ETLS levy; textile levy and Value Added Tax,” according to the statement.

Listing the items to be assessed, he pointed that 20,878 bales of printed Af- rican fabrics; 21,980 bales of high grade brocade ma- terials; 6,127 bales of lace materials; 554 bales of poly- ester materials and 30 rolls of curtail materials, are to be assessed by the task force.

It would be recalled that the officers of NCS sealed up 75 warehouses of assorted textile materials in Kano last month following months of under- cover operations and activa- tion of local and international intelligence networks.

The warehouses were reported to be operated by foreign nation- als using a handful of Nigerians as their guarantors.

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE