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Tag: Nigeria Customs Service

  • Customs boss visits Saraki as Senate expects him Wednesday

    Customs boss visits Saraki as Senate expects him Wednesday

    The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Tuesday paid a visit to the President of the Senate, Dr  Bukola Saraki.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the comptroller-General, who arrived the National Assembly complex at about 5.30 p.m., was first received by the Leader of the Senate, Sen.  Ahmed Lawan.

    He then went into a close door session with Saraki.

    The Customs boss later left the complex in company of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, at about 6.49 p.m.

    NAN recalls that the Senate on Tuesday at plenary session insisted that Ali must appear before it in uniform on Wednesday.

    This followed the receipt of a letter from Ali seeking permission not to appear on Wednesday.

    An Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Azarema Abdulkadir, had written to the Clerk of the Senate requesting that the upper chamber gives the Comptroller-General a new date to appear before it.

    NAN recalls the Senate had on March 9, asked Ali to appear in plenary session in uniform on Wednesday to address the issues of retrospective payment of duty on vehicles.

    The letter was read by the Clerk, Mr Nelson Ayewoh, to the senators at plenary session.

    It stated that Wednesday coincided with the fortnightly meeting of the NCS management.

     

  • FG to prosecute illegal importers of frozen fish

    FG to prosecute illegal importers of frozen fish

    …seal offenders cold room

    The Federal Government says it will henceforth arrest, prosecute and fine illegal importers of frozen foods into the country through the land borders and seal cold rooms where it is sold.

    Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of state for Agriculture and Rural Development, announced this while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

    Lokpobiri said the government would also set up a taskforce to seal and prosecute operators of cold room, who deal on those illegally imported produce.

    The minister said the ministry was working in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Marine Police to actualise the plan.

    He said the offenders would pay a fine of $250,000 or attract five years imprisonment or both in addition to the forfeiture and destruction of the produce as stipulated by the law.

    He listed some of the fishes usually being imported to include tilapia, red pacus, river bream, pangassius, horse mackerel, sardine and croaker, among others.

    Lokpobiri said the illegal venture had resulted to huge loss of revenue, decrease in local production and loss of jobs, as well as discouragement by farmers.

    The minister, who said that the move was to encourage local production and exports, disclosed that the country’s annual demand on fish was currently at 3.2 million tonnes and deficit at 1.9 million tonnes.

    According to him, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the ministry is the only competent authority empowered by the Nigeria Sea Fisheries Act to issue distant water fishing licence for the importation of frozen fish into Nigeria.

    “The department does not issue licence for the importation of frozen farmed fish into Nigeria through the land borders.

    “The smuggling of unhealthy frozen fish into the country is detrimental to the progress being made toward guaranteeing the good health and nutrition of Nigerians.

    “We will continue to partner with the Nigeria Customs Service, the Navy, marine policy to see how we can clamp down on the offenders.

    “Even those that have brought the produce into the country, we are setting up a taskforce that will go round different cold rooms, like what Customs is doing to rice.

    “Any cold room that we find these fishes, we will seal them up, ensure you pay the $250,000 fine because laws are meant to be obeyed,’’ he said.

    The minister said that consumption of those imported frozen foods were major cause of some health challenges being experienced in the country.

    Lokpobiri, who frowned at the rising cases of kidney disease among children between the ages of five and seven, assured that the government would fight the menace to a halt.

    In an interview, Mr. Lamina Rasheed, the National Chairman, Association of Indigenous Seafood Stakeholders, appealed to the Federal Government to release foreign exchange (FOREX) for the importation of fish.

    He said that getting FOREX at a cheaper rate would ensure reduction in the price of the produce and make it affordable.

    The chairman said the illegal importation of fishes was detrimental to their business.

    Rasheed said that members of the association paid import duty of 14 per cent, which amounted to millions of naira to the Federal Government while the illegal importers pay next to nothing through the land borders.

    According to him, it is difficult to compete with them in the market because they slash their prices.

    He attributed the high cost of fish to the current exchange rate, adding that the frozen fish did not enjoy FOREX from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    “Before, we were getting FOREX from the government but now, we are buying from the open market.

    “When you pay 14 per cent and somebody is paying zero per cent, how do you sell your commodity?

    “Therefore, all the fishes we brought legally into the country are currently stocked in the cold room because we cannot afford to lose our money or bank’s money.

    “We have a lot of stocks in the cold room, which are unsold,’’ Rasheed said.

     

  • Customs shuns Senate to seek 40 percent vehicle duty

    Customs shuns Senate to seek 40 percent vehicle duty

    ….directs owners to pay at Area Commands

     

    Despite the Senate directive that the Nigeria Customs Service should suspend the proposed vehicle duty ultimatum that is due to be effective on April 12, the organization Wednesday said that it was granting 60% rebate on the Duty Paid Value (DPV) on vehicles before and in 2015.

    Addressing journalists at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja Wednesday, the Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Joseph Attah, said the grace period began on Monday and would last till Wednesday April 12, 2017 for vehicle owners and dealers to pay at the nearest Customs Area Commands except for Lagos and Port Harcourt.

    The spokesman said “Visit any Customs command near you and verify your papers and know if the right duty was paid. Ignorance is no excuse. There is a one-month grace period for now with 60 per cent rebate.”

    He insisted that “soon, owners of smuggled vehicles without duty will longer be able to register them or renew their vehicle papers.”

    The Senate on Tuesday directed the NCS to suspend the directive until a proper explanation by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd).

    But Reacting, Mr. Attah said the Service will provide adequate information to explain the objective to the National Assembly.

    He said that “Senators are respected representatives of the people. When we visit them, we shall discuss and I’m confident that with the gains in this action, they’ll see reasons.”

    According to him, the need to complex all vehicle owners to pay duty is boost revenue and enhance national security through the Vehicles Identification Number (VIN) Project.

    It has the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal road Safety Commission (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as partners.

    His words: “The benefit of this collaboration is that those who do not pay Duty on their vehicles will not be able to obtain and register them in Nigeria. We believe that when all vehicles are properly registered and owners’ identities tied to them, national Security will be enhanced.”

    With the rebate, Customs said payment for 2015 vehicles and below that were directly imported and third party type (Nigerian used) is based on 35 per cent of the actual value as Duty from which the owners will be mandated to now pay 40 per cent.

    The National President of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), Prince Ajibola Adedoyin at the briefing said they supported Customs on the directive as they had meetings before it was issued. AMDON said it will soon activate an online platform where customers can verify vehicles with genuine Duty payment.

    On the one month period, Adedoyin said as it continues, the association will call for further review or extension of the grace period when the need arises.

    He said the Customs management may extend the deadline depending on compliance.

    Adedoyin said body was developing a platform through which customers could ascertain the genuineness of their vehicles Customs papers.

    “When you buy a car from us, something will be issued to you to avoid buying vehicles without duty. We’ve a listening CGC, as we continue with Customs on the new policy, if there’s need to extend the one month window, we will. It’s agonizing to buy a vehicle without duty and have it seized”, he said.

  • Customs intercept 661 imported pump-action rifles

    Customs intercept 661 imported pump-action rifles

    The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted 661 pieces of pump-action rifles from China, concealed with steel doors and other merchandise goods, which came in through Lagos port.

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Alli, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on Monday in Lagos.

    Alli said that the Federal Operations Unit, while on patrol, intercepted a Mark truck with registration number BUG 265 XG conveying a 40ft container with the number; PONU/825914/3 along Mile 2 Apapa Road, Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the consignment was cleared from Lagos port.

    The comptroller-general said the truck was immediately taken to F.O.U. premises for physical examination and 49 boxes containing 661 pieces of pump action rifles concealed with steel doors were revealed.

    Alli said the rifles were under absolute prohibition, adding that its importation was illegal.

    “Such deadly contravention of the law is even more unacceptable considering the fragile security situation in some parts of the country.

    “Already three suspects have been arrested in connection with this illegal importation,’’ NAN quotes the comptroller-general as saying.

    The suspects are Mr Oscan Okafor (an importer), Mr Mahmud Haruna (a clearing agent), Mr Sadique Mustapha (accompanying the consignment to its destination).

    Alli said initially the consignment was said to have originated from Turkey, adding that there was mixed-up in the document which finally revealed that the consignment originated from China.

    “Investigation has already commenced and I have directed that the dragnet should be wide enough to fish out all persons involved in the importation and clearing of the consignment, ‘’ NAN quotes Alli as saying.

    He said Customs officers who were involved in the clearance of the containers were in the custody of Comptroller Mahmud Haruna of FOU Zone “A’’

    Alli said that the seizure underscored the determination of the service to enforce all laws relating to importation and exportation of goods into and out the country thereby contributing to the economy, security and well-being of the country.

    The comptroller-general said that the seizure was commendable and represented the new normal rule in the service “where most officers and men are on a daily basis ensuring that illegalities are not allowed unchecked’’.

    He commended the Comptroller in charge of F.O.U. and officers and men who were involved in the seizure.

    Alli, however, urged the media as well as meaningful Nigerians to help the service with information that would assist the service to perform its statutory responsibilities in the interest of Nigeria.

    He said the seizure would be handed over to the appropriate authority

  • Tax review committee recommends Customs, FIRS merger

    Tax review committee recommends Customs, FIRS merger

    The National Tax Policy Review Committee has advised the Federal Government to merge the Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigeria Customs Service to improve revenue generation and accountability.

    The draft of the policy was presented at the committee’s second Stakeholders Engagement Tuesday in Abuja by Mr Taiwo Oyedele, who is the West Africa Tax Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

    Oyedele said the committee agreed that the current system promoted multitaxation, tax evasion and wastage.

    According to him, “part of our recommendation will be that FIRS and Customs should be merged; but not just them, but all revenue generating agencies at the federal level should be merged into one.”

    He described what exists now as “not effective, because it duplicates the collection mechanism. All the structures you have in FIRS is replicated in Customs, so cost of collection goes up. It also makes it easier for tax evaders to manipulate the system. You can provide information for customs and FIRS is not aware of it.”

    However, having one revenue agency he said “will flag all the information about a tax payer when he or she is paying tax. It will also ensure that leakages in the system are reduced. This is why we are recommending merging, as part of the policy.”

    The committee also recommended that a Tax Amnesty Programme be introduced. He said that some companies or individuals might be afraid to join the tax net for fear of being asked to pay past tax liabilities. However, a tax amnesty he said “would assure the public that past offences would be forgiven, thus enable government to expand the tax net.”

    Other key recommendations of the draft policy include establishment of Taxation Committee at national, and state assemblies, administrative framework for amnesty and whistle blowing.

    These the committee said were necessary to move Nigeria from its current position of 181 out of 189 countries to top 50 on the Ease of Paying Taxes World Report.

    The Chairman of the National Tax Policy Review Committee, Prof. Abiola Sanni, said the need to improve revenue generation in the economy influenced the decisions of the committee.

    The National Tax Policy was first published in 2012 by the then Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to entrench a robust and efficient tax system in Nigeria. The recent committee was, however, set up by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun on August 10 this year to review the existing policy.

  • Customs re-imposes restriction on rice

    Customs re-imposes restriction on rice

    Nigeria Customs Service has re-introduced the restriction order on importation of rice through land borders across the country.

    Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) gave the approval for the reversal of an earlier policy in October 2015 which allowed rice imports through the land borders, once appropriate duty and charges were paid.

    At a review session held with Comptrollers of Border Commands and Federal Operation Units held in Abuja, the Service noted that dwindling revenue from rice imports through the Land borders do not match the volume rice landed in neighboring Ports.

    Rather, reports from Border commands indicated an upsurge in the tempo of rice smuggling.

    The Customs Public Relations Officer, Mr.  Wale Adeniyi made this disclosure in a statement Tuesday.

    According to the statement, implementation of the restriction order got off to a smooth start, with a high level of compliance in October 2015.

    However, revenue started dwindling from January 2016, with importers blaming access to Forex as major impediments.

    During the Five-month period when the importation was allowed October 2015-March 17th 2016, a total of 24.992 Metric Tonnes of Rice valued at N 2, 335,131,093 ( Two Billion, Three Hundred and Thirty Five Million , One Hundred and Thirty One Thousand and Ninety Three Naira) was imported through the land borders.

    It adds that: “During the period, total revenue generated amounted to N 1,685,112,810 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty, Five Million One Hundred and Twelve thousand, Eight Hundred and Ten Naira Only). This is considerably lower than the revenue projected to be generated with the removal of import restrictions.

    “However, an upsurge in the number of the seizures has been reported across the land borders since January 2016. In the first two months of the 2016, a total of 9238 bags were seized, with Duty Paid Value of N64,666,000 was made by the Customs anti-smuggling patrol teams of  Federal operations and Border commands.

    “Comptroller-General of Customs noted that his Officers and Men cannot be totally exonerated from the abuse associated with the implementation of the order on Rice, as his office has been inundated with reports of collusion between them and Rice importers. He has directed investigation into the reports, insisting that indicted personnel will be sanctioned.

    “While directing a zero-tolerance to rice imports through the land borders irrespective of volume with immediate effect, he stated that importers who have already initiated import processes will have a grace period ending Friday 25th March 2016 to clear their consignments.”

  • Customs intercept three boats loaded with marijuana

    Customs intercept three boats loaded with marijuana

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday said it had intercepted three boats loaded with marijuana along an unnamed waterway in Lagos.

    The Customs Zone `A’ Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General Charles Edike, made the disclosure in Lagos while speaking at a Stakeholders` Forum organised by the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

    Edike said the boats were intercepted by officers of the Western Marine Command on Sunday, adding that the smugglers had been arrested and would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    The zonal coordinator said that smuggling activities on waterways had been on the increase in recent times.

    He, however, said that men of the service were fully on the alert to check illegal activities of water smugglers.

    “Smugglers have resorted to using the waterways to carry out their nefarious activities but I can assure you that men of the service are up to the task to check this criminality.

    `Just three days ago, our men intercepted three boats fully loaded with marijuana. Our men from the Western Marine Command got the smugglers.

    “We will increase our patrols both on land and waters to ensure that smugglers and other economic saboteurs have no hiding place, “the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Edike as saying.

    He said that the service would not yield to calls in some quarters to take away its men on some Federal highways as the deployment was meant to check smugglers who used the highways to carry out their illegal activities.

    The zonal coordinator said men of the service had made large seizures of arms from smugglers on some highways, especially around Idiroko in Ogun and Iseyin in Oyo State

    Edike said the incidents justified continuous patrols by officers on the highway.

    He said more officers had been deployed to bush routes used by smugglers around Seme border, saying that the strategy was to ensure that smuggling activities were limited in the area.

     

  • Customs to stop hackers of agents’ pin codes

    Customs to stop hackers of agents’ pin codes

    The Zonal Coordinator, Zone `A` of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Assistant Comptroller-General Eporwei Edike, on Thursday said that the service would ensure it stopped hacking into pin codes of clearing agents.

    Edike made the disclosure during his visit to the Secretariat of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in Lagos.

    He said that Customs would set up a new platform on the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS), adding that this would stop fraudsters from accessing the pin code.

    “Clearing agents should stop giving their pin code to their co-staff because the staff also used their bosses’ pin code and ran into a lot of malfunctions.

    “The next platform on our NICIS will not give anybody access to the pin code because the pin numbers will be hidden, “ Edike said.

    He urged all agents to take full advantage of the training given by the NCS, adding that the service would continue to engage the agents in training to make their jobs easier.

    Edike also urged the agents to make honest declaration.

    He said that, “If any agent is having problem with cargo clearance after genuine declaration, such an agent should visit a superior customs officer and complain.’’

    The zonal coordinator said that there was need for agents to stop corruption in clearing process.

    According to him, if any customs officer over-charged any agent, such an officer would refund the illegal money, if only the management was aware.

    Edike said that if any officer also delayed clearing process, such an officer would pay back the agent if the consignments accumulated demurrage in the process of cargo clearance.

    Speaking earlier, the President of ANLCA, Mr Olayiwola Shittu, commended the zonal coordinator for his commitment and transparency toward his primary assignment.

    Shittu urged the customs zonal coordinator to assist the agents in reducing face-to-face contacts during cargo clearance.

    He described human contact in processing cargo clearance as a means of extortion money of agents by some Customs officers.

    According to him, this usually leads to accumulation of demurrage.

    Shittu said that there was need to stop quacks in clearing and forwarding business,

    “I will be happy if Customs grants ANLCA the privilege to take at least two Customs officers to Ghana to learn about the Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR) Home Delivery Value of clearing cars out of the ports.

    “The Transaction Value process being used by Nigeria Customs is difficult and not accessible for clearing of cars,’’ Shittu said.

    He said that ANLCA “is a member of the World Customs Brokers Association which had exposed the association to many international training on clearing procedures.’’

    Shittu, however, urged members of the association to stop giving their co-staff their pin code in the course of cargo clearance.

    He pledged the association’s support for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, to surpass his target of N1 trillion.

  • New comptroller general for custom, immigration

    New comptroller general for custom, immigration

    President  Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the appointment of Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) as the new Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    He replaces Alhaji  Dikko  Abdullahi who retired from the service on the 18 of this month.

    The new  Comptroller-General holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Criminology. He was military administrator of Kaduna State from 1996 to 1998 under the regime of late General Sanni Abacha.

    In a press release issued yesterday, by the President’s Special Adviser (Media & Publicity), Femi Adesina also named Kure Martin Abeshi as the new Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service.

    Adesina said Abeshi hails from Nasarawa State. He joined the Nigerian Immigration Service in 1989 as an Assistant Comptroller. His educational qualifications include a Masters Degree in Public Administration.

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  • Photo: Inauguration of customs hospital

    Photo: Inauguration of customs hospital

    L-R: CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, CUSTOMS HOSPITAL, KARU, DR NANDAP NANMAN; COMPTROLLER-GENERAL,NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE, ALHAJI DIKKO ABDULLAHI AND GOV. NASIR EL-RUFAI OF KADUNA STATE, INSPECTING HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT, AT THE INAUGURATION OF NIGERIA CUSTOMS HOSPITAL AT KARU IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY
    L-R: CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, CUSTOMS HOSPITAL, KARU, DR NANDAP NANMAN; COMPTROLLER-GENERAL,NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE, ALHAJI DIKKO ABDULLAHI AND GOV. NASIR EL-RUFAI OF KADUNA STATE, INSPECTING HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT, AT THE INAUGURATION OF NIGERIA CUSTOMS HOSPITAL AT KARU IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY
    CHAIRMAN, NIGERIA CUSTOMS HOSPITAL INAUGURATION COMMITTEE, MRS GRACE ADEYEMO WELCOMING GOV. NASIR EL-RUFAI OF KADUNA,TO THE INAUGURATION OF NIGERIA CUSTOMS HOSPITAL AT KARU IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY WITH THEM IS THE COMPTROLLER-GENERAL, NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE, ALHAJI DIKKO ABDULLAHI AND OTHER OFFICERS.
    CHAIRMAN, NIGERIA CUSTOMS HOSPITAL INAUGURATION COMMITTEE, MRS GRACE ADEYEMO WELCOMING GOV. NASIR EL-RUFAI OF KADUNA,TO THE INAUGURATION OF NIGERIA CUSTOMS HOSPITAL AT KARU IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY WITH THEM IS THE COMPTROLLER-GENERAL, NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE, ALHAJI DIKKO ABDULLAHI AND OTHER OFFICERS.