Tincan Island Command, Customs Consultative Committee in revenue raising partnership

Controller, Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, has sought the support of the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) towards achieving the command’s N1.13trillion revenue target for 2024.

Nnadi made the appeal when he paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Customs Consultative Committee in Lagos on Monday, according to a statement by the CCC secretary, Fwdr Eugene Nweke.

Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the committee, Aare Fwdr. Hakeem Olanrewaju, had drew the attention of the Controller to the wider negative impact of the unstable foreign exchange regime on trade generally, and used the opportunity to enlighten the Comptroller on the workings of the CCC while soliciting for broader areas of strategic consultations in order to redefine operational bottlenecks in the ports.

The Chairman highlighted noticeable red tapes in the supply chain and recommended eradication of such.

He made recommendations for achieving policy goals of the Command in particular and the management of NCS in general.

In his response, Comptroller Nnadi stated that his courtesy visit is informed by his belief that responsible partnerships and collaborations are incomplete without strategic mobilization and alliances, hence his visit to the CCC.

Insisting that the annual revenue target of the Customs requires deliberate cooperation and the support of stakeholders, especially the trading public, he called for the support of CCC in achieving this for TCIP Command.

He commended the CCC for their support to TCIP Command in 2023 while informing that, the management of the Command is committed to the implementation of the key resolutions reached at the recent stakeholders meeting held during the Comptroller General of Customs conference 2023.

He insisted that the management would not leave any stone unturned in pursuance to its trade compliance and facilitation quest.

To this extent, he called on the trading public to shore up compliance in their trade transactions and requisite trade related applications via prompt documentation and honest declaration.

He noted that going forward compliance traders will be rewarded with prompt service delivery , while sanctions on trade irregularities and breaches will be meted to the defaulting trading public ( importer /exporter and their representative) as provided in the new Nigeria Customs Act 2023.

He said equally that officers caught in the line of duty other than spotting and tackling trade infractions will as well be punished accordingly to achieve holistic and meaningful compliance.

On the allegation that, the Service increased the benchmark for the surface payable Customs duty, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, reiterated that, at no time did the Service set nor increased any benchmark other than, the reality of the foreign exchange rate regime, insisting that once the exchange rate drops, the payable surface Customs duty will as well drop.

In conclusion, the CCC Chairman reassured the Controller of the committee’s cooperation and support towards meeting set goals, especially the command’s revenue target and presented the CCC handbook to him.