Procedural disputes halt imports at land borders
Disputes on clearance procedures have halted imports into the countries through the land borders, frustrating the goals of improved activities and trades envisaged with the recent reopening of land borders.
Comptroller, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Seme Command, Bello Mohammed Jibo said the Command was yet to receive imports from third countries as there were clearance procedure disputes to settle between importers, agents from Nigeria and the Benin Republic authorities including the shipping firms.
He said the Seme Command has however recorded export trade volume of 348.828 million metric tonnes of exported goods. These have free on board (FOB) value of N4. 277 billion, with its NESS value standing at N21.384 million.
Consequently, the Command’s revenue remitted into the Federation Account stood at N80.775 million.
Jibo said the collection was from 0.5 per cent ETLS, 1 per cent NESS, baggage assessment and the reassessment of the trapped trucks.
He revealed that this feat was recorded between the period of reopening the country’s land borders and last month.
He further said in this same period, the Command also intercepted a total of 232 parcels of cannabis sativa with duty paid value (DPV) of N2.933 million.
The Comptroller said the fight against smuggling in the Command in the same period led to remarkable interceptions of 705 items, with DPV of N409.85 million.
He gave the breakdown of the seized items to include: 5,568 bags of foreign parboiled rice ( 50kg each); 3208 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (25 litres each); 79 units of smuggled vehicles; 294 cartons of frozen poultry products; 131 parcels of cannabis sativa; four cartons of maxam explosives; 798 cartons of tomato paste; three cartons of sugar; six cartons of slippers; 305 pairs of used shoes; 30 cartons of Nescafe; 19 cartons of non-alcoholic wine; 10 cartons of cigarettes; 12 cartons of herbal soap and two sacks of condoms.
The grand total for the seizures and revenue is N490,626,431.36.
Jibo assured that the NCS will continue to actualise sustainable campaigns and strict enforcement of the Federal Government’s fiscal policies to encourage compliant traders, while sustaining the fight against smugglers and improved synergy with other security agencies.
