Comptroller Okun
The Nigeria Customs Service, Ports Terminal Multservices Limited (PTML) Command has recorded a whooping sum of N46,850,639,870 as total revenue collection for the first quarter of year 2021.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Command Public Relation Officer, Yakubu Mohammed.
The total collection for the first quarter, as stated in the release, is higher than what was collected same period of last year with a difference of N1,446,991,000.1 above N45,403,648,869.90.
Giving a month by month breakdown of first quarter collections with 2020 comparison, it shows N15,205,823,545 collected in January 2021 which was -7.6 percent lesser than the N16,456, 582,954.22 collected in January 2020.
In February 2021 the command collected N11,706,947,150 which is -11.9 percent lesser than the N13,300,872,189.64 collected same period last year and in March 2021 there was total collection of N19,937,869,175 which is 27.4 percent higher than the N15,646,193,726.4 collected in March last year.
The shortfalls recorded in the first two months of this year is attributable to low volume of trade experinced by the lull in economic activities due to Covid19 pandemic.
Mohammed quoted Customs Area Controller in charge of PTML, Comptroller Festus Okun advising vehicle importers to use Nigerian ports and avoid smuggling cars through land borders
“Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Festus Okun has enjoined importers and agents using the PTML port for their businesses to imbibe and sustain good business etiquettes like sincere declarations, prompt duty payment and keeping to all other extant rules as contained in the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) and other guidelines.
“He advised that they continually acquaint themselves with import and export prohibition lists and seek appropriate clarifications where necessary on areas like Harmonised System (HS) code to achieve flawless classification of their cargoes”.
