Imposition of high value, exchange rate responsible for Customs N2.2trn revenue collection- ANLCA boss

The Chairman, Registered Board of Trustees (BOT), Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, has attributed the revenue generation of N2.2trillion collected by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to the high exchange rate and imposition of outrageous value on imported goods by the Service on importers.

The NCS on Thursday said it recorded N2.2 trillion revenue as against the N1.6trillion target set for 2021.

Customs Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah had in a statement quoted the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali as saying that the revenue was achieved as a result of the ‘resolute pursuit of what is right and willingness to adapt to change as well as strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the tariff and trade development’.

Attah added that automation of the Customs process, thereby eliminating vices associated with the manual process and robust stakeholder sensitisation resulting in more informed/voluntary compliance contributed to the huge collection.

But speaking with Maritime Today Online, Mustapha accused Customs of imposing outrageous value on imported goods all in bid to meet revenue target, a development he said has remained a major concern for businesses in the country.

“As at the time the federal government gave Customs that target, what was the exchange rate? If the exchange rate was about N306 thereabout when the target was given as at today, the exchange rate is N404. So, if Customs say they have been able to generate N2.2 trillion, it is nothing but basically has to do with the increase in exchange rate on the system.

“Secondly, one of the issues we raised with the Customs management when we met was that the valuation system has been so outrageous and it is killing trade facilitation. Virtually, every Customs officer has become a valuation officer and that we have rejected. Customs has a valuation unit and the unit should be allowed to do the job but as it is today, even Federal Operations Unit, Strike Force unit do valuation job,” he said.

Mustapha noted that while Customs brokers do not desire the government to strip the NCS of its responsibility of revenue generation, there is need for the Customs management to address the high-handedness of some of its personnel, which he said is killing trade.

“As a government agency that we work with every day, we commend them that they have been able to meet up with their target. We don’t want the government to take the job away from them because we know the underplay that has been going on with some other providers trying to take over Customs job, we will not support that as Customs agents.  While we want Customs to continue to do the job, we want them to put a human face to handling certain issues because there has been a lot of highhandedness in some quarters and we want that to be resolved,” he said.