By Onozure Dania

The Port Terminal Multi-service Limited, PTML, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Command, in Apapa, Lagos, has posted a revenue of N98.825 billion for 2017, an increase of 57.4 percent over N62.803 billion generated in 2016.

In a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mohammed Yakubu, the Customs Area Comptroller, Mrs. Olarenwaju Aremu, said the performance was attributed to the ban on the importation of vehicles through land borders.

Aremu added that trade compliance by traders also made operations of the command easy and urged all stakeholders to follow suit by ensuring compliance with the rules and regulations guiding cargo clearance at the terminal.

She explained that while revenue generation has been on a steady increase since May 2017, consignments are now cleared within six hours for vehicles and 24 hours for containers as long as proper documentation is entered.

The command’s monthly target of N6.3 billion was surpassed as it collected N6.785 billion in May 2017, as against N4.792 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2016.

In June of 2017, a total of N7.166 billion was generated, recording an increase of 40.2 percent of 2016 revenue generation.

For July, August and September, the command posted a revenue of N8. 647 billion, N10.160 billion and N8. 083 billion, respectively, as against N4. 26 billion, N6.284 billion and N5.712 billion collected within same period in 2016.