Nigeria Customs Service, PTML Command has collected a total of N87,818,715,427 as revenue for January to June 2020, indicating a 16% higher than N75,706,005,990 collected within same period of 2019.
Comptroller Okun
The figure also exceeded what was realised last year same period by a total of N12,112,709,437 which translates to 12% increase.
According to the Command’s image maker, Mohammad Yakubu, the amount collected by the Command in the first half of 2020 is the highest so far generated in half year by the command since its formal commissioning in August 18, 2006 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the country’s first privately built Roll On Roll Off (RoRo) port for vehicles in the Country.
He attributed the increase in revenue collection to high volume of trade and due diligence of the command’s operatives under strict supervision of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Festus Okun.
He said that the Controller has put up increased supervision machinery in place, ensuring that officers were fully on ground before and during the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic while observing all laid down protocols as advised by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and relevant health institutions .
Comptroller Okun, according to the PRO, has also reiterated his advise to car importers to avoid using neighbouring countries and smuggling vehicles through the land borders as the long arms of the law will always catch up with them.
Okun reassured that with flawless compliance in the areas of sincere declarations and prompt duty payments, cargoes can be exited from his command within 6hours .
“Trade facilitation and ease of doing business without compromising national security and government revenue have also been our areas of priority” he said.
A breakdown of the collection shows various degrees of percentage increase in 2020 figures above that of 2019 except for the month of April where a 15% shortfall was recorded in 2020 showing a collection below what was made in 2019.
The Command’s revenue chat comparison between 2019 and 2020 shows a collection of N16,456,582954.22 for January 2020 which was 11% above N14,850,154,616 of same month last year. N13,300,872,189.64 was collected in February 2020 which is 33% above N10,024,673,259 for 2019. For March 2020, N15,646,193,726.04 was collected with a 32% difference from N11,853,972,028.
In April 2020 N11,241,400,914.48 was collected, which was the only month in 2020 first half where a shortfall was recorded. The collected sum was 15% below N13,282,567,334 that was made in same month of 2019.
For the months of May and June of both years in review, May 2019 was N12,352,449,543 while May 2020 was N13,661,428,914.48 showing 11% difference . While June for both years was N13,342,189,210 and N17,512,236,904.07 respectively with a difference of 31% increase.
