NCS : Apapa Command targets N244bn in 2009
By Ifeyinwa Obi
The Customs Area Controller Apapa Area 1 Command Comptroller Akinade Adewuyi has lauded the Comptroller General of Customs Abdullahi Dikko Inde MFR for effective and timely deployment of one of the key points of his six point agenda- welfare of officers and men of the Service.
Adewuyi expressed the appreciation while decorating Officers and Men of the Command from the rank of Chief Superintendent and below promoted in the just released promotion exercise. The CAC urged the officers to reciprocate the good will of the management by rededicating themselves to uplifting the image of the Service through collection and surpassing of the revenue target while facilitating legitimate trade.
It will be recalled that the current economic melt down and dwindling oil revenue has reduced government earnings from external sources there by increasing the need for internally generated revenue. Government agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service responsible for the collection of internally generated revenue for the federal government had their targets almost trippled in order to meet this demand.
It is on this premise that the management of the Nigeria Customs Service has allocated a target of 244 Billion Naira to the Premier Command. So far, the Command has collected about 138 Billion Naira from January to October, 2009. With just three months to the end of the year, the Officers are expected to more than double their effort if they must meet the balance . The challenge is even greater considering the current drop in cargo through put and the cash crunch being suffered by the port operators as a result of the banks not offering credit facilities to the importers and their agents for regular transactions .
