Borders closure: Customs generates N115 billion in September

Premium Times 

The  Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N115 billion in September, the highest so far since the closure of the country’s borders.

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, disclosed this when he received the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Ali explained that since the closure of the borders, the revenue being generated by the service was increasing on daily basis.

He said there was never a time NCS generated the revenue or much money like it realised in September.

Mr Ali said the measures taken had compelled those who used to smuggle things into the country to go to the ports and pay necessary duties.He said the aim is to ensure that the closure is sustained up till January 2020.

Mr Ali said the main objective of the border closure was to ensure that neighbouring countries complied with the ECOWAS protocols on transit.

He explained that the protocol on transit mandated customs in the neighbouring countries to escort items coming to Nigeria to the borders so the importers would not evade payment of duties.

The customs boss added that the closure of the borders had helped to reduce the incessant attacks by bandits.

He said this measure had helped in curtailing the influx of arms and ammunition into the country.

He said the step taken by the joint border security operatives headed by NCS has also reduced the importation of some illicit drugs into the country.