The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command has generated a total sum of N104,649,202,251 as revenue to the Governments coffers for the first half of 2021.
The figure represents 19.2 percent increase above the N87,818,715,599.45 that was collected within the same period of last year; January to June.
As disclosed in a statement made available by the Command spokes person, Mohammed Yakubu, it reads that the increase in revenue collection is due partly to operational strategies emplaced by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Festus OKun, to prevent revenue leakages, promote trade facilitation and achieve seamless cargo clearance for compliant importers.
Adding that it is attributable to the volume of trade which saw comparative increases in monthly collection from March 2021 after initial revenue shortfalls in the earlier months of January and February when compared with 2020 collection.
A comparative breakdown of month by month revenue collection of 2020 and 2021 shows N16,456,582,954.22 in January 2020 which was 7.6 percent higher than N15,205,823,545 collected in January 2021. Last year’s February collection of N13,300,872,189.64 was also higher by 11.9 percent than the N11,706,947,150 of February this year.
The command recorded a surge of increases in monthly collection from March to June of year 2021 compared to what was collected same period of year 2020. Collections from demand notices from uncovered revenue shortfalls within the period amounted to N499,376,085
In March 2021, the command generated N19,937,869,175.00 which is 27.4 percent than N15,646,193,726.04 of March 2020. In April this year, the command collected N17,938,794,417 which is 59.6 percent higher than the N11,241,400,911.00 of last year.
For May and June 2021 the command collected N17,606,073,741.00 and N22,253,694,223.00 which are 28.9 percent and 27.1 percent above 2020 collections of N13,661,428,914.48 and N17,512,236,904.07 respectively.
A total number of 95 ships berthed at the PTML terminal carrying 17,717 containers and 118,431 imported vehicles between January and June 2021.
In the area of export, the Command handled export goods with a total tonnage of Seventy- seven thousand (77,000.23) metric tons, with a total Free on Board (FOB) value of Fifty-five Billion, five hundred and forty-six thousand, one hundred and eighty-eight thousand, three hundred and twenty-four naira, sixty-four kobo. (N55, 546,188,324.64) only.
Comptroller OKun commended the officers and men of the command for their patriotism and commitment to national interest, while urging them to double their efforts to achieve a more resounding feat by the end of 2021.
The Controller described PTML as a model port with many advantages for Importers and exporters, and urged them to increase their level of compliance.
He reiterated that the four hour clearance time for compliant Roll on Roll off (RoRo) cargoes is very much subsisting, adding that PTML provides opportunity for vehicle importation with speedy clearance being a model RoRo port that should discourage car smuggling through land borders.
