NCS Area 1 Command Port Harcourt rakes in N92.3bn revenue in 2022
…Pledges to beat record in 2023
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
A total sum of Ninety two billion, three hundred and twenty nine million, eight hundred and eleven thousand, seven hundred and fifteen thousand,forty kobo(N92,329,811,715.40) was collected as revenue for the year 2022 by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 1 Command, Port Harcourt.
This was disclosed by the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Ibrahim Muhammad Tuesday during a press briefing in Port Harcourt.
According to him, this figure represents a 12 per cent increase from N81,313,484,983.60bn recorded in 2021 by the Command. He explained that the amount was escalated by the revenue collected from the Port Harcourt International Airport amounting to N11,355,952,513.00bn. This, the CAC said, represents an increase from N8,022,099,800.00bn collected in 2021.
The CAC also said that the Command recorded a total sum of N5,124,605,850.00bn from Excise Duty in 2022 as against N4,186,308,066.00bn collected in 2021. This, he said, indicates an increase of N938,297,784.00m, which is an 18 per cent difference.
Muhammad equally told journalists that a total of 17,126,930.06 Metric tons of exports were processed in crude oil export in 2022. This, he said, represents 76 per cent increase as compared to 4,127,874.74 metric tons recorded in 2021.
The CAC further said that Free On Board (FOB) in 2022 amounted to $3,003,501,358.93 in 2022 as against $1,984,007,424.35 recorded in 2021.
In the same vein, the Area Comptroller said his Command seized four (4×20Ft) containers containing a total of 2,965 (25litres) Jerry cans vegetable oil concealed alongside other items such as granite stones, cartons of tiles, ceramics, cable wire rolls and Jotun Cover plus paints,among other dutiable items.
Other seizures, the CAC said, include one (1×40Ft) container containing 481 bales of second hand clothing, as well as one (1×20Ft) container carrying 700 packages of matchetes and 107 packages of shovels. The container, the CAC said, was detained pending the production of an End- User-Certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser.
A combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) for the seized containers, the CAC said amount to N112,682,893.90m.
Muhammad said a case file has been opened and other follow-up actions are in progress, stressing that these acts of illegal importations violate Schedule 3 of the Customs External Tariff and as such the cargoes are liable to outright seizures.
The CAC used the opportunity to advise the trading public/stakeholders to be wary of people that could lure them into the act of economic sabotage for any reason.
He thanked the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC),Col Hameed Ali, Rtd and his Management Team for their support that produced the above result. He equally commended other stakeholders, including the media for their collaboration and support, pledging to surpass the current record in the preceding year.
