Customs mulls waivers for vehicle importers to pay duties

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it intends to grant waivers to “vehicle owners” to pay duties within a specific timeframe to avoid sanctions.

Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller-general (CG) of the NCS, spoke while presenting the 2024 budget of the service to the senate committee on customs at the national assembly, on February 5, 2024.

While defending the 2024 budget of N706.43 billion, he said the NCS will focus on consolidating carried-over projects, bolstering staff welfare by motivating officers’ performance, and integrating technologies into customs processes.

Adeniyi said officers will be incentivised to enhance their productivity and wellbeing through a variety of means, including rewards, promotions, and allowance payments.

He also emphasised strategies to improve and standardise customs procedures, declutter ports, work with other agencies to be more efficient and competitive.

Adeniyi said the agency would also be supporting local production to ensure food security, conduct anti-smuggling operations, and integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into daily operations.

“We intend to grant waivers to vehicle owners to pay duties within a specific time to avoid sanctions and to regularize the importation of vehicles through payment of duties,” he said. 

“The service plans to recruit 1,600 personnel in 2024. The low figure is due to the small vacancies we have available. These vacancies are primarily for junior staff who will carry out Customs operations and guard duties. In subsequent years, more recruitment exercises will be carried out.”

The NCS comptroller-general pledged to surpass the revenue target of N5.079 trillion in 2024, noting that the revenue target is 27.75 percent higher than that of 2023.

The comptroller-general outlined strategies to achieve the 2024 target, including implementing the national single window championed by the federal ministry of finance.  

However, Bashir said the NCS fell short of its 2023 revenue target by 12.62 percent, noting circumstances that negatively affected revenue generation such as general elections, import duty exemption certificates, cash shortage, and concessions in Section 99 of the common external tariff (CET). 

On his part, Isa Jibrin, chairman of the senate committee on customs, lauded the Adeniyi for the progress and success achieved in his brief tenure in office.