Records N130.1b Exports, Makes N5.8b Seizures, Scores 101.21% in performance

Even as figures are being computed from various Commands of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, in Abuja, Maritime Insider can authoritatively report that the Tin Can Island Command of the Service generated a total of N346, 508, 836,486.54, (three Hundred and Forty Six Billion, Five Hundred and Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty Six Naira and Fifty Four Kobo) into the federation account last year.

Given a revenue target of N342,306,080,496.63 for 2019, the Command met its revenue target and exceeded it by a total sum of Four Billion, Two Hundred and Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Naira and Fifteen Kobo (N4,202,755,990.15), culminating in a performance score of 101.21%.

This performance came on the heels of implementation of series of transformational ideas and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) developed to facilitate trade without compromising the extant provisions. The command was able to create templates and blueprints that guided it’s actions in line with the mission and vision of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali Rtd and his management.

Maritime Insider leant that the Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command, Comptroller Musa Baba Abdullahi and his men were able to create templates and blueprints that guided it’s actions in line with the mission and vision of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd).

In pursuit of its Anti-Smuggling objectives, the command made a total seizure of 16x40ft, 37x20ft (53 containers) and 3 non-containerized Cargoes. The seizures includes rice, used tyres, pharmaceuticals, vegetable oil, military accoutrements-with a total DPV of Five Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Six Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Five Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty Naira (N5,876,465,640.00).

Compared with 2018 seizures, it indicates a recorded improvement from the seizures of 14x40ft, 2x20ft (16 Containers) and 5 uncontainerized others ranging from bales of second hand clothing, furniture, children toys, used bags and shoes, expired medicaments, used tyres, used fridges amongst others with a total DPV of Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Three Million, Five Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (N2,883,531,500.00) recorded in 2018.

In the area of exports, sensitization of stakeholders and would be exporters on the need to take advantage of the potentials inherent in exports paid off.

Records available to Maritime Insider indicate that the command exported items with a total tonnage of Two Hundred and Sixty Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Nineteen Point Five (269,819.5) Tons with a total FOB value of One Hundred and Thirty Billion, One Hundred and Eighty Six Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty One Naira (N130,186,894,481.00) in 2019 as against the total tonnage of Two Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred Sixty Two Point Seventy Seven (254,762.77) Tons with a total FOB value of One Hundred and Forty Five Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty Two Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety Six Naira (N145,322,990,396.00) exported in 2018.

To ensure Trade Facilitation at Tin Can, the Command developed a more cordial working relationship with the Critical Stakeholder by constant Engagements as a re-invigorated Dispute Resolution Committee was constituted to deal expeditiously with disputes arising from Valuation, Classification, PAAR and  Rules of Origin.

Importers or their Agents were and are still encouraged to take advantage of the availability of Bond facility to take delivery of their consignments where disputes persisted.

A re-engineered help desk, domiciled in the office of the PRO, where inquiries are channeled went a long way in the achievements of the Command in 2019. This and the ONE STOP SHOP – facility where all alerts/interventions emanating from Q & A, CIU, Valuation, compliance/strike force would be synchronized with a bid to ensuring that issues are resolved without going through unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks are the oil that greased the operational wheel at the Command.

As part of adopted measures to increase the efficiency and capacity of its operations, the Command took steps to develop a training curriculum peculiar to the operations of the Service. Some of the trainings includes but not limited to Data Analysis, NICIS II Awareness, Skill GAP and Profiling Training, End-User Certificate Requirements and Documents, Bond Seat Training, Valuation and Classification Courses etc.

This is even as newly promoted 13 Deputy Comptrollers and 13 Assistant Comptrollers in the Command, are currently undergoing a training programme that is targeted at familiarizing them with their new schedules and developing the needed skill sets to enhance their operational efficiency.

The CAC while basking in the euphoria of the remarkable achievements, is saddened by several issues and challenges which limited its operations in terms of Revenue generation.

The issue of poor access and road infrastructure, lack of Government Warehouse facility, non-availability of operational equipment by the Terminal Operators, lack of scanners, removal of some Terminals that were hitherto under the Command affected the volume of cargo handled by the Command.

The CAC laments that these constraints contributed to his operational limitations, accounting for the revenue which recorded which could have been higher.

Notwithstanding, the Command appreciates all its stakeholders and sister agencies for their cooperation and support in 2019 and urge them to up the ante in 2020.