Senate To Increase Customs’ Revenue Target

The Senate is considering an upward review of the N5.079 billion revenue target of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) from the second half of the year to save the country from further borrowings.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs Isah Jibrin stated this during a meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service Adewale Adeniyi and top management of the agency.

Senator Jibrin is emphatic on why revenue-generating agencies must up their game to improve the economy.

On the high unemployment rate, Senator Jibrin states that “Customs is not the only employer of labour. They can only employ the number they believed, they can adequately take care of and we are putting them under pressure to exceed the 1,600 benchmark”.

Responding to questions from the lawmakers, the CG, NCS also disclosed that the service is seeking approval from the government to allow them to give waivers to owners of smuggled cars to allow them regularize payment of their Customs duties.

He disclosed that those in possession of vehicles illegally imported into the country or are to pay duties have a three-month window to go to Customs House for assessment and payment of duties.

This he assures will be done after adequate publicity to ensure that those in such a situation, can get their vehicles regularized through payment of duties.