ABUJA: No fewer than 159 consignments were detained by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command between January and July this year, according to data obtained..
According to the release, about 153 of the seized consignments were later resolved after defaulting parties fulfilled the conditions attached to their release. Some of the conditions provided in the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) include the payment of customs duty, issuance of debit note (DN) and penalties.
During the period under review, the command also seized six consignments, of which, five were eventually condemned by the court.
Also, the command raked in N167 billion during the said period. The money, according to the command, was realised from import duties generated from goods, which came into Nigeria through the premier port, Apapa Quay.
Customs Area Controller (CAC), Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Eporwei Charles Edike who confirmed these in an exclusive chat with THISDAY in Lagos, however stated that the yard occupancy at Apapa port also dropped to 42 percent in July 2015. Also, trade profile for the period under review showed that exports valued at N220.3 billion ($502,810,733.79) were ferried out of the country through Apapa port.
The Customs Chief disclosed that the command collected revenue worth N167,108,172.43 as against the N159,877,174.13 recorded within the same period in 2014.
He explained that although the revenue generated this year surpassed that of last year by about N7, 230, 998.30, import activities into Apapa has declined.
Edike attributed the decline on imports to the poor economic climate in the country and the deplorable state of the port access roads.
These factors, according to him, were responsible for the obvious drop in the number of vessels and containers calling at Apapa ports this year.
He explained that the decline in the economy affected the capacity of the command to attain set goals and objectives, especially in the area of revenue generation.
Furthermore, he explained: “Where there are no importations, vessels and containers arriving, it affects revenue collected. In January 2014, 53 vessels called at APMT while within the same period this year, 41 vessels called. Last year February was 45 and this year 41. In March, it was 36 this year as against 42 in 2014. Imports discharged last year January were 19,412. This year, it was 17,929. In February and March 2014 it was 19,044 and 19, 452 respectively while February and March 2015 had 15, 633 and 14, 935 imports discharged.”
