The Porthacourt Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Command of the Nigeria Customs Service achieved a record-breaking revenue of N27,174,373,191.00 in 2023, marking a substantial increase from the N21,217,864,074.00 collected in 2022 – a noteworthy 12% increment.
This was revealed in a statement by Assistant Comptroller of Customs Hauwa Ahmed on behalf of the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Abubakar Umar.
The statement revealed that the command effectively recovered lost revenue by optimizing unutilized Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAARs) and unpaid assessments.
It emphasized that additional assessments, where necessary, played a pivotal role, amounting to N12,118,910,575.00. Moreover, interventions through Demand Notices (DNs) contributed N3,372,420,893.00 to the overall revenue.
Comptroller Umar outlined the strategies implemented to bolster revenue and prevent leakages, including rigorous training for examination and releasing officers, facilitation of compliant trade, stakeholder consultations, continuous sensitization to enhance understanding of import and export procedures, strict adherence to customs laws, and the implementation of a 100% cargo examination.
“These measures collectively aim to enhance expertise, encourage compliant trade practices, and reinforce adherence to customs regulations for effective revenue management,” stated Comptroller Umar.
The CAC thanked Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and his management team for fostering an enabling environment that facilitated the command’s remarkable revenue accomplishment.
He highlighted a positive trend in total duty collection from January to December 2023, comparing favorably to the previous year, reflecting an improved revenue performance for the command. The statement also acknowledged the command’s facilitation of key exports, including refined sugar from Bundu Sugar Refinery, fertilizer from Notore Chemical Industries PLC, and LNG from Bonny Island.
The CAC affirmed the command’s commitment to sustained excellence and commended the collaborative efforts that led to the successful revenue outcome in 2023.
