NCS ‎records N184m in Ogun FTZ, tasks Amosun on Igbesa/Agbara road reconstruction

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday disclosed it generated N184 million from Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone located in Igbesa in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, between January and December 2015.

The total revenue raked in from excise duty and other levies ‎by the Ogun Area Command of the NCS, according to Waindu Multafu, controller of the command, increased by over N21 million compared with what it generated same period 2014, adding that the command had so far raked in N18.8 million in January and February 2016.

Speaking during a working visit to Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone in Igbesa on Wednesday, Multafu charged all investors operating in the FTZ to respect government policies that guide their operations, saying investors ‎and entrepreneurs should help grow Nigerian economy.

Multafu, who visited the zone with his counterpart from Federal Operation Unit, Ikeja, Lagos, Umar Dahiru, noted that the industrial zone was established to engender smoother business relationship between the nation and China as well as other nations, just as he added that the zone was meant majorly for international trade and infrastructure development in and around the zone.

According to the controller of Ogun Area Command, the visit became necessary as he and his FOU counterpart had only spent less than two months in the state and they needed to know what was being produced by all functional industries in the zone.

He said the NCS was working assiduously to ensure all revenue leakages were blocked with a view to shoring up its marginal revenue generation.

The FOU controller said investors in the FTZ must be sincere in their operations, which would enhance the efforts of all agencies, particularly NCS, to come up with accurate calculations in terms of quantum of raw materials brought into the zone that would determine the rate and value of duties on products for export.

Umar expressed his displeasure about laxity in terms of adherence to safety regulations in some of the industries in the zone.

Earlier, John Xue, CEO of the Ogun Guangdong FTZ, said no fewer than 50 companies had berthed in the zone with 30 among them already operating and about 4,500 Nigerians had been employed.

He added that a pharmaceutical company, Xion Pharmaceutical, had made a commitment of $1 billion to the zone, besides the German engineering company, Bosch.

He however joined the NCS to task Governor Ibikunle Amosun to fix Igbesa-Agbara roads for smooth haulage of raw materials and finished goods in and around the industrial estate.