Customs CG Reviews Fast Track Scheme …Collects N38billion Infraction from Defaulting Importers

Zion Olalekan |

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (Rtd) has said that the service has concluded review of its fast track scheme which was specially designed for compliant importers, saying that it has equally recovered a whooping N38,078,927,908.90 as Duty Paid Value on the 16, 135 seizures made from January 2015 to May 2018.

Ali also said that in a bid to further enhance the customs transparency, the service has upgraded its activities to NICIIS 2 to interconnect more stakeholders and automate more of its processes.

Represented by Zonal Coordinator, Zone A of the service, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Aminu Dahiru, the CG stated this on Thursday while delivering a paper titled “Revenue Leakage and its Effect on the National Economy” at a maritime industry function in Lagos, Ali assured that at the end of the review of the fast track scheme, some importers who have been consistently compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements would be rewarded.

Speaking on alleged corruption in the customs service, the customs boss stated that corrupt practices and other infractions by officers and men of the service had attracted the appropriate sanctions including interdiction and dismissal.

“The actions of the service to block revenue leakages, enhance transparency and facilitate trade have yielded positive results; the service not only exceeded its revenue target for 2017 but for the first time collected revenue in excess of N1trillion”.

“The auction of overtime and seized goods has been automated to eliminate corruption and discretion. The e-auction platform has several advantages including proper valuation of goods, higher revenue accruing to government, transparency and eligibility of all Nigeria taxpayers to participate”.

“I have approved the setting up of a committee for the automation temporary import permits procedure, import duty exemption and clearance of diplomatic import from end to end”.

“The service has recently initiated engagement with the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) and with the courier companies on ways of improving revenue collection and security in the clearance of imported parcels and e-commerce goods” he said.