The Kwara Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a huge success between January and June 2023 when it comes to revenue collection, the area command has actually set a record, Kwara state customs chief, Comptroller Kehinde Ilesanmi, has said.
Ilesanmi , who said this during the press conference he presided over at the headquarters of the state command on Friday, added that a new approach to revenue generation has also been introduced.
He told journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com that the revenue collected on his watch ‘ is higher than what was recorded in the previous year’.
He also noted that the area command ‘has gone beyond revenue collection and generation to creating an enabling environment for legitimate businesses to thrive’ .
Ilesanmi added that this had been done in line with the mandate of Ag. Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, and to also improve ease of doing business in the area command.
‘Within the period under review, despite the election lull, the command has at the end of the second quarter of 2023, generated the sum of Six Billion Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty-Seven Naira Ninety-Seven Kobo N 6, 246, 485,827.97. This amount represents 9.14% of revenue increment compared to the previous year 2022.
Breakdown of the Revenue Generated from April to June 2023 is as follows:
Months
2022
2023
Increase/Surplus
April
879,761,399.90
1,665,081,888.46
785,320,488.56
May
891, 054,533.68
1, 909,721,578.02
1,018,667,044.34
June
1,493,109,941.16
2, 671, 682, 361.49
1,178,572,420.33
TOTAL
3,263,925,874.74
6, 246, 485,827.97
2, 982,559,953.23
It will be recalled that I took over the leadership of the command in January this year. The command has collected and remitted the sum of N9, 813,483,412.09 to the federation account between January and June 2023 on my watch. This amount is above what was collected from January to June 2022 with the sum of N 5,762,552,633.87’ he said.
He also disclosed that 813 bags of foreign rice and 998 jerry cans containing petrol have been seized from smugglers adding that a total of 56 seizures of different items was recorded.
‘The Federal Government’s policies on Agricultural Development with regard to boosting local rice production has sustained our fight against smuggling activities and fueled our resolve to do more. I want to assure you that the fight will continue with a sustained momentum and determination to make more seizures will not abate. The results of our anti-smuggling activities coupled with the command’s renewed drive with regard to utilization of cutting-edge strategies resulted in Fifty-Six (56) seizures of different items with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Forty-Eight Million Eight Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand Four Hundred Naira (N48,822,400.00)
Items seized include:
9 Units of used vehicles of different types
813 Bags of foreign parboiled rice of (50kg each) That is more than a Canter mini truck load of rice
24,950 litres of petroleum product in 998 Jeri cans (almost a trailer load)
14kegs of vegetable oil of 25 litres
The seizures were successfully accomplished as a result of the renewed determination of the Comptroller-General of Customs , Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR to rid the country of all forms of illegal importation’ he submitted.
Ilesanmi , who noted that the Comptroller General had during his maiden news conference promised that his tenure will witness remarkable transformation by spearheading innovative projects aimed at unlocking the full potential of the service with strong focus on collaborations, engagement with international organizations, pursuit of cutting-edge technologies that will enhance revenue generation and streamline processes that will strengthen the NCS as a crucial contributor to national economy and security, sent a note of warning to economic saboteurs to steer clear of Kwara Area Command and engage in meaningful ventures.
Failure to heed this warning would according to him mean that they are ready to meet their waterloo.
He praised the patriotic collaboration and tremendous assistance ‘we always receive from traditional leaders, eminent personalities and some communities including members of the press in our resolute drive against smuggling in the overall interest of our dear nation’.
Responding to a reporter’s question asking if the recent removal of fuel subsidy has resulted in reduction of cases of petrol smuggling, Ilesanmi answered in the affirmative.
‘Definitely yes, economically, when you consider the fact that it was previously N185 per liter and in Kwara, Ilorin specifically, it has gone up to an average of N515 per liter. This is about 200 or 280% increment. Therefore, the purchasing capacity of individuals in respect of PMS has been reduced. The same thing that happened to the people that are making use of it legally has also happened to the people who are doing it illegally.
So the volume to be purchased has drastically reduced. And then the volume to be transported has also drastically reduced. Therefore, how many people have the financial muscle to carry 500 jerrycans of PMS. My conclusion by this analysis is that it has drastically reduced. And you know the essence of policies, especially economic policies, financial policies, material policies, they are meant to attend to public problems with a kind of strategy of one blow that solves a myriad of problems.
And it is the kind of blow that goes below the belt. This is one policy that has really helped Nigeria to make the people, I mean non-Nigerians that had been living on the largesse of the country to have a rethink. I even heard that immediately the fuel subsidy was removed, there were demonstrations in neighboring countries. Why? You decide to clean your house; you decide to sweep your flat, then your neighbors in the other flat start demonstrating. It is to tell you that you have done something very significant’ he said- Team@orientactualmags.com
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