Lagos-The Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said on Tuesday it generated N284.2 billion in 2014 as against N240.1 billion recorded in 2013.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Chris Osunkwo, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
“In 2013, we had a total of N240.1 billion, whereas in 2014 we made N284.2 billion. Put together, we had a difference of N44.1 billion. That’s a remarkable improvement from the previous year.
“As I have always put it, quality leadership is number one, provided by the incumbent Area Controller, Alhaji Zakari Jibrin.
“Kudos too, most especially to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, who deemed it fit to provide the enabling environment for us to operate.
“So we have been working assiduously to return his goodwill for all of us in the service because there is a popular saying that to whom much is given much is expected and that’s exactly what you are seeing in our performance.
“We are grateful to the comptroller-general of customs, who is a key member in the transformation agenda, for transforming the service and taking it to a greater level.“
He said the command was experiencing a few challenges, including unauthorised entry of persons to the port.
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“Number one, in every human endeavour there are bound to be inherent challenges, chief among which in Tin Can Island Port we consider to be unauthorised influx of persons into the ports.
“As they come, they constitute a whole lot of hurdles, distractions, name it. So, we’ve been managing this and sooner or later, we’ll arrive at the Eldorado in management of this unwanted crowd.
“Two is: trying to make customs licensed agents inculcate integrity because like we have this PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report) which, I have always said, is a measure designed for integrity-driven business clients.
“If we key into the PAAR and play according to the rules you’ll have a seamless operation, make honest declarations and then become compliant because we are bound to facilitate compliant trade.
“We are trying to ensure that the game is played according to the rules.
“These are some of the challenges and in line with that the management in its wisdom instituted this training for customs licensed agents, first of which took place at Apapa Customs House.“
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He, however, urged the customs agents to engage in sincere declaration to reduce the time of doing business at the ports and increase the turn-around time of vessels. (NAN)