The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Moves against Fraudulent Importers, Freight Forwarders

Col. Hameed Ali (rtd)

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has vowed to bring to book importers and freight forwarders who are bent on defrauding the federal government.

Specifically, he said importers who abuse the fast track facility meant to enhance trade facilitation and global best practices will face the full weight of the law.
The CGC read the riot act last Friday when he visited Apapa port command of the Nigeria Customs on his way from Cotonou where he embarked on a two-day working visit.

According to him, “We are out on a mission and we get information on matters such as this, we react. I am glad that the Apapa command was able to nip this in the bud. I am here to strengthen the command, commend them for what they are doing and use the opportunity to send a very strong message to our partners who are either importers or freight forwarding agents. Anybody got in this crime will be brought to book. Once you falsely declare and we discover it, it is automatic seizure. Whoever is involved will face the law and if there is any officer that connived with the importer he will be prosecuted and the minimum jail term is five years.”

Customs loses 70 officers in seven months, as Nigeria plans collaboration with Benin

The Nigeria Customs Service has opened collaboration with their counterparts in the Republic of Benin to facilitate trade and resolve bottlenecks affecting transhipment of goods into Cotonou.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Colonel Hameed Ali, said this on the side line of a meeting in Cotonou with that country’s Customs Service in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Ali was in the Republic of Benin with his team.
He said: “Customs is here to see and find solutions to the challenges hindering the smooth operations of Nigerian business operators who engage in inter-border trade and transhipment of goods from Nigeria to Republic of Benin.
“Nigeria Customs had lost 70 Customs officers between January 2016 till date while performing their duties to stop the activities of smuggling of some products such as rice, poultry products, rice and so on.

“We have made it real to visit Benin Customs and discuss on the rudiments hindering our operations.I believe our dialogue will bring out solutions because both countries are interdependent and this why there should be symbolic mutual relationship between them.”
Ali said there was the need for a level playing ground for the Nigeria Customs Service and the Beninoire Customs due to the nature of their operations as well as the law governing the ECOWAS Trade Liberation Scheme.

Nigeria Customs impounds 24,273 cartons of foreign poultry *Products preserved with chemicals meant for dead bodies.

Impounded foreign poultry

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, Owerri has announced the latest seizure of a total of 24,273 cartons of imported frozen poultry products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N256,264,200.

In a press statement released by the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Onuigbo Ifeoma, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Haruna Mamudu said that the items which were cleverly and deceitfully concealed in a Scania truck with an inscription ‘DHL’ were seized on the Benin axis in Edo State.

Haruna, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the Customs Warehouse in Benin said that the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the items impounded stood at N256,264,200 just as three suspects were arrested by the eagle-eyed Customs men on duty in connection with the illegal business.

Customs Defaults May Affect 2016 Budget Revenue Target

The federal government’s plan to raise N4.2trillion ($14.3 billion) revenue set in the 2016 budget from its revenue agencies may not materialise, as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has failed to meet the target set for it by the government.

Just like most other government agencies, Source revealed that collections are running behind target at the Nigeria Customs Service.

The NCS averaged N43billion per month in January to April this year, compared with N72billion targets in the 2016 budget.

Analysts believe a combination of squeezed private consumption and foreign exchange rationing is probably to blame and stressed however that Nigerians can expect some relief from the effective devaluation of the naira.

On its part, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) reported collection rates of about 90 per cent for Q2 2016 and 73 per cent for the first and second quarters combined.

BREAKING: Customs reacts as naira crashes to N285/$

Following the new flexible exchange policy to be adopted by the CBN, the naira has switched to N285 to a dollar at the interbank market.

The new policy also means that banks and Bureau De Change (BDC) operators will have to source forex autonomously and sell according to market dynamics.

The interbank rate had run nearly at par with the official at N199 per dollar and N197 per dollar respectively before the pronouncements on the new foreign exchange measure.

The new rate represents about 43.2% increase from N199 to the dollar it previously traded, which according to analysts suggests that the market is gradually adjusting itself to the new direction, although the details are yet to be unfolded.

However, a look on the apex bank official website, www.cbn.gov.ng has shown the naira is still pegged at N197.

Meanwhile, reports that the Nigerian Customs department announced it will begin to use the rate of N285 to the dollar for the calculation of duty on all imports from Wednesday June 1, 2016, has been denied by the Service.