The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Area II Command, says export of agro-allied produce from Onne, Rivers State has risen to N28.421 billion in 2019.
It says the Command was able to process 255,407 metric tonnes of agro-allied goods in 2019, noting that it accounts for the increase in export. It however did not state the difference in export between 2018 and 2019.
It said that the value of the goods exported through the command had a total Free On Board (FOB) value of $78,402,057 which is equivalent to ₦28,420,745,662.5 at ₦362.5 per dollar.
This even as it said it generated a total revenue of N107.34 billion from duty paid on imported goods in 2019.
This surpassed the command annual revenue target of N95.712 billion for last year by N11.643 billion representing 112 percent of its target.
The Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Aliyu Galadima Saidu who made this disclosure in a statement he issued on Thursday said in comparing the revenue generated between year 2018 and year 2019; the total sum of N94,044,676,428.01 was realized in Year 2018 which shows about 14% increase in revenue generated in year 2019 as against year 2018.
The Controller said that a total of 24 seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of one billion, two hundred and seventy-eight million, seven hundred and eight thousand and eleven naira (₦1,278,708,011.00), were also recorded in the area of anti-smuggling.
He explained that, the seizures were made due to wrong documentation, false declarations, wrong classifications, concealment and non provision of end user certificates for the imported machetes.
He said that preliminary investigations carried out by the Service revealed that the primary motive for the items being smuggled was to evade paying the correct duties.
Comptroller Saidu, who frowned at the continued menace of smuggling across the ports and borders, also lamented on the detrimental effect it has on the nation’s security, social and economic well being.
He advised those involved in such unpatriotic behavior to desist from it, and warned that the command will not spare anyone as efforts will be intensified in locating and investigating the economic saboteurs, no matter how they hide.
He also urged genuine businessmen to continue to be law abiding and run their businesses with utmost compliance with the law as a way to build trust and integrity in their dealings.
