By Udeme Clement

THE Customs Area Controller, CAC, Tincan Island Command, Comptroller Bashar Yusuf, has mapped out new strategies of revenue generation to meet the target of N306.8billion.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Ejesieme Uche, disclosed this in a document signed and made available to Sunday Vanguard, saying that the CAC  met in different sessions with officers in-charge of the terminals and valuation personnel to brainstorm on how  to increase revenue collection for government.

Comptroller Bashar

He explained that the meeting was to further reiterate the CAC’s stand on zero tolerance for inappropriate examination of cargo, comparative analysis of declarations on SGD (Single Goods Declaration) with  system declaration and appropriate valuation of goods to guide against transfer of value amongst others.

In his remarks, Bashar who is a World Customs Organisation ,WCO, certified Resource Person in capacity building, drew  attention of sectional Heads to the role of Customs in national development, the economic implications of failure to meet with expectations and its concomitant effect on the economy. He reminded them that the Command was given a revenue target of N25.8billion per month, translating to 306.8billion in a year, which necessitated his directive for daily target of at least 1billion.

He stressed that the goals cannot be achieved without  practical commitment of all officers,  admonishing terminal Heads to ensure that thorough system checks on declarations  are carried out, in order to identify goods which value may have been transferred for regularisation.

Similarly, Bashar while declaring closed the ICT training at the Command charged participants to make integrity, professionalism and due diligence their watch word.   He said that his passion for capacity building prompted him to establish the training centre, which in future will serve the training needs of the Service and WCO.   “Your performance must be seen to have a significant effect on our revenue, attitudinal change and self transformation are also key. My style is to use ICT to control the behaviour of officers and those who are found wanting will be sanctioned to act as deterrent for others”.