Against the backdrop of a remarkable surge in Customs Service revenue which in 2017 peaked at N1.037trn, the Image maker, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah has highlighted that the Service cannot be linked with whatever operational pains stakeholders passed through last year.
Stressing that Customs gains not responsible for operators’ pains, Attah who spoke exclusively with Maritime First in Lagos also assured Nigerians that the Service is assiduously working to mitigate the pains of families who lost loved ones on active service.
Excerpt please:-
Q: This is 2018, how was 2017 generally?
Well, 2017 was quite eventful. It was a year that the Service generated the highest revenue collection ever for the Federal Government of Nigeria, despite challenging periods.
We recall that was a period we pass through with 41 items restricted from Forex. We also recall that a number of policy implementation of the federal government, on special federal government project, that did affect the tariff of items.
For instance, the enforcement of fiscal policy of 2017 led to a decrease in average duty rate; the average duty rate which used to be 12.5 was reduced to 11.1% due to duty lowering; and sometimes, total removal duty such as on agricultural projects.
For example, fabricated agricultural grain house was slashed from 20 to 0%; agricultural machineries from 10 to 5 to 0%; the automotive industry project, CKD … from 35-5%.
So with the reduction in the average duty rate, a decline in revenue could have occurred, but for due diligence and strict application of the laws. For instance, the declarants of vehicles were compelled to put the mandatory vehicle identification numbers; all these added up to give us revenue of One trillion, thirty seven billion Naira and above.
Q: They said while the Customs declares serious profit, the companies, the businesses are actually folding up. Is Customs part of the indices killing the businesses through excessive tariffs?
No! You see, a number of factors can be responsible for the folding up of industries. Some of these factors I mean, even the Customs has no control over. Government policies could be there.
Government policies over the year have been to encourage the companies, towards industrialization and others. It is to boost industrialization. So, I don’t see how Customs revenue collection, will lead to their closure. But then, you also know some companies can either, because of lack of raw materials, for lack of market, or for various other reasons fold up. We have a government that is deliberately turning out incentives for companies, so I don’t see implementation of this polices as possibly affecting them.
What of the Free-Trade Zones where people are expected to import and produce and export, so as to increase foreign exchange and provide job for people? What of these agricultural polices, whose importation of machineries have either been reduced or totally removed, all of which are to encourage local industry growth?
Q: Now, let’s come to 2018, what is the corporate vision of the Service?
You should know that the present service of today is led by a Comptroller General that assumed duty with a three prompt presidential mandate: restructure, reforms and sequence of raising revenue.
We call it the three “Rs” and the three working together have so far been yielding results.
Of course, you can see the revenue is rising, anti-smuggle is invigorated overall and, therefore we now have an atmosphere that makes smuggling increasingly unprofitable. Going forward, we look at sustaining the gains of 2017, consolidating potentials of these three “Rs” and maximizing gains for the Federal Government of Nigeria and indeed all Nigerians.
Q: You lost some of your best men in the cause of active service, patriotism and raising revenue. What did you do for their families?
We have a service that puts welfare on the front burner. Normally what happens is to first protect the dignity of those that die on active service; we get a way to get in touch with their immediate families, and there after ensure that the process of getting whatever is of their right is not delayed. That is what we are doing and that’s what we will continue to do.
Q: Break it into tangible, verifiable form.
Talking about the tangible things we have done, you know that the Service is undergoing reforms now, those are some of the issues that the on-going reforms agenda will also capture.
We are looking at ways of improving the benefits for families who lost their breadwinners on active service, especially from the angle of what we need to do, both in the short and long run, to truly reduce their suffering.
These are presently being captured and will soon be put forward as a policy. But we do know that there is no amount of money, or material provisions that can replace the life of a loved one. But the service is truly looking at ways of bringing this under the on-going reforms. The Service is currently exploring ways of providing robust assistance to families who lost their loved ones!