Reps approve N369bn Customs’ 2022 budget

The House of Representatives has approved the sum of N369.136 billion as the 2022 budget for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

This followed the adoption of the report presented by the chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise, Leke Abejide (ADC, Edo) at the plenary on Tuesday.

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According to the approved report, N108.853 billion is for personnel costs while N45.896 is for overhead and N214.294 billion is for capital projects.

The report recommended that the Nigeria Customs Service should, as a matter of urgency, make provisions out of the N27.848 billion surplus for the repairs of Thirteen (13) Scanners before the commencement of the proposed E-Customs.

Similarly, the House has passed the bill to reform the operations and administration of the Nigeria Customs Service.

The Chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise, Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi), presented the report on the bill on Tuesday which was approved and passed.

Abejide said the passage of the bill is a step in the right direction, especially in view of the fact that the bill is the first major reform in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Legal Framework in 63 years.

He said: “The old act has become obsolete in today’s competitive global world and also, in effective operations of the NCS. A review of the act seeks to reposition the NCS for improved efficiency and service delivery.

The lawmaker disclosed that notable legislative initiatives have been introduced into the bill in order to eliminate the operations and administrative bottlenecks affecting the customs.

He said: “When this bill becomes an act, it will position Nigeria Customs Service to be financially stable and this will enable NCS to recruit the required number of Officers they need to man our porous border stations. The Nigeria Customs Service currently has 15,349 officers instead of 30,000 officers needed for the service to function optimally.

He further informed that it will also make provision of legislative input into the appointment of the Comptroller General of Customs similar to other organisations like Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Service Chiefs.