Customs to Leverage on ICT to Boost Revenue Collection in 2018

• Customs to Leverage on ICT to Boost Revenue Collection in 2018

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Tincan Island Port Command, has stated that it plans to leverage on information technology to boost revenue collection in the New Year.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Uche Ejesieme, in a statement highlighting its activities, said it will seek to create proactive measures leveraging on its comparative advantage in the application of ICT for best practices.

He said the command is optimistic that the recent deployment of NICIS II platform will further enhance our capacity in the area of revenue collection, and in ensuring extracting the commitment of officers/men, promoting transparency, integrity and professionalism.

According to him, “Our operational template is projected in such a way to align with the change ideology of the comptroller-general and his management, as we don’t envisage to lose grounds but rather consolidate on the achievements already recorded in 2015 to 2017.”

He revealed that the command realised 92.7 per cent of its 2017 revenue target N310.24 billion with a total collection/generation N287.63 billion, a difference of N22.61 billion

Highlighting some of the positive restructuring which took place at the Command last year, he noted that the Customs Area Controller instituted several reforms in the entire administrative and operational value chain which resulted in remarkable seizures.

“Part of the strategy was on the issue of due diligence and professionalism in documentations and examination of cargo. It was therefore, on the basis of the foregoing that the command recorded a total of 2,010 Pump Action Riffles during the period under reference. Following these the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) was at the Command on those three occasions with some members of his management to address the media,”he said.

He added: “On other special projects in view of the importance which the Command attached to capacity building, as a critical element in 21st Century Customs Operations, the Customs Area Controller embarked on a construction of an ICT training centre, with a 30 workstations fully connected, to serve the training needs of officers and men as well as other critical Stakeholders. The training facility has been used to train over 958 officers and stakeholders in areas relevant to their operations.

“In the same vein, a state-of-the-art clinic was constructed to take care of the medical needs of both officers and other publics. The clinic is fully equipped with male and female wards with a mini pharmacy. These facilities were eventually commissioned by the Ali, who eulogized the Customs Area Controller for demonstrating exceptional leadership quality,” he said.

He added that the command during the period under review also sustained and strengthened its relationship with other key agencies of government both within and outside the Port.

The Command, he stated, strongly believes that mutual understanding for peaceful co-existence is key in the actualisation of our mandate.

“Also of note is the importance which the World Customs Organisation (WCO) attaches to stakeholder engagement. This we have domesticated and demonstrated through interception of the handing over of intercepted regulated consignments to the appropriate Agencies for further due diligence.

“Specifically we handed over 10 40ft containers of both substandard, fake/regulated pharmaceuticals to NAFDAC and NDLEA respectively at different times during the period under review. As part of our projection into 2018, the CAC has pledged to align with the change ideology of the Comptroller-General and his management. We don’t envisage to lose ground but rather consolidate on the achievements already recorded in 2015 to 2017,” he said.

The command, he added, appreciates the role of compliant traders who have consistently remained dependable allies through adherence to due diligence. “In the same vein, our Sister Agencies and other players in the Maritime Industry have demonstrated tenacity of the purpose in subjecting to the change ideology of the Comptroller General to the extent that we had seamless synergy and collaboration,” he stated.