‘Customs Collected Over N95b In August’ | TheNation

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has collected N95.7 billion in August, its hihest collection in the last 10 months.

Its Public Relations Unit on its website yesterday, said: “Last month, August 2016, the Service recorded the highest revenue in 10 years despite the Forex difficulty, low imports and general economic downturn. The Service generated N95,760,763,642.04, a feat that points to the efficacy of the Comptroller-General’s policy thrust.”

According to the statement, the strong position of the Comptroller-General’s on the issues of discipline, integrity and strict adherence to customs codes and clearance procedures is yielding positive results in the areas of suppression of smuggling and revenue collection.

The statement reads in part: “Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) on assumption of office as the Comptroller-General of Customs August last year arrived with a three prone Presidential Mandate namely:- reform, restructure and raise revenue.

“To achieve these, he drew his policy thrust, which harped, on honesty,integrity and transparency as bases for achieving the mandate. Starting from the Headquarters and then to all customs formations across the country.

“Knowing that reform and restructuring are activities within the Nigeria Customs Service, while raising the much needed revenue requires cooperation and compliance from the part of stakeholders, the CGC embarked on stakeholders visitations to secure their buy into the new way of doing business with the service.

“After one year at the helm of affairs, the NCS, revenue generation profile has continued to be on the rise.

“Last month, August 2016, the service recorded the highest revenue in 10 years despite the forex difficulty, low imports and general economic downturn. The service generated N95,760,763,642.04, a feat that points to the efficacy of the CG’s policy thrust.

“The strong stance of the CG on issues of discipline, integrity and strict adherence to customs codes and clearance procedures is yielding positive results in the areas of suppression of smuggling and revenue collection.”

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Our Businesses Are Dying Due to Government Policies – Says Arik Air Chairman

Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, chairman of Arik Air, one of Nigeria’s surviving airline, says the policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) do not favour local airlines.

Arumemi-Ikhide also said Nigerian airlines “are just offering national service”, stating that the fares are the lowest in the world.

“Government policies, or central bank policies do not favour us. For example,
the CBN said that 60 percent of foreign inflows should be for manufacturers,” he said in an interview on Channels Television.

“They’ve forgotten that the engine of any economy is air travel. Nothing is provided for us, we have to scramble like every other person.

“The same thing in the tax (system); the FIRS has a different rate for company tax, and airlines are seen as services, so by the time you finish, you pay almost 40 percent.

“So, its only air travel that we pay VAT, road transportation and others don't pay VAT. So the stakes are against airline operators in Nigeria, from government.”

He said the government need to encourage airline operators with the right policies, adding that the landscape is really tough on airlines.

“We have to source our forex, and spare parts, all of us, all the commercial airlines. It’s really tough, and our fares re the lowest in the world.

“Let me say something, naira is now about 350 to the dollar, and if you look at Lagos to Abuja, it’s less than 35,000, that is less $100.

“There is nowhere you can get it. I consider that all my colleagues and I (are) doing national service.

“You don’t even get fuel; fuel prices are shooting off the roof. Before the flexible exchange rate was introduced, we were buying fuel for about N110 per litre.

“Now it’s N215 per litre and you can’t even get it. The situation in the country is not favourable to the airlines at all.”

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