In a bid to enhance revenue generation and curb revenue leakages, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged in discussions with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
During a presentation at the RMAFC office in Abuja, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, outlined the NCS’s strategies to recover unremitted funds.
Adeniyi shared that a successful revenue recovery exercise was initiated in 2023, resulting in the retrieval of over N17 billion within a span of four months. Building on this achievement, the NCS plans to implement lessons learned from the beginning of 2024, with a specific focus on strengthening the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) Unit.
The CGC appealed for support from the RMAFC and other agencies, emphasizing the NCS’s commitment to revenue recovery and addressing potential areas of revenue leakages. Adeniyi stressed the importance of building trust while collaborating with other government bodies to achieve common objectives.
Adeniyi further clarified that the aim of these efforts is not to assign blame but to streamline business processes and reduce the time and cost associated with conducting operations at the ports. The NCS is actively collaborating with agencies that have legal provisions to stay at the port, ensuring that their presence does not hinder trade facilitation.
Adeniyi expressed the significance of collecting every naira and kobo towards achieving the NCS’s target of N5.1 trillion in revenue. He highlighted the need to block revenue leakages and ensure accurate calculation of import duties, as presented by Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), Ekanem Asuquo, during the session.
Chairman of the RMAFC, Bello Shehu, highlighted the commission’s responsibility in monitoring the activities of the NCS. He requested the NCS’s assistance in recovering funds, improving revenue mobilisation, preventing leakages, and offering advice to the administration on measures to boost revenue generation.
Through this collaborative effort, the NCS and RMAFC aim to enhance revenue collection, foster transparency, and promote efficient trade facilitation in Nigeria’s customs operations.