Revenue Generation: FG May Revise Restriction On 41 Items

A boost in revenue gen­eration by the Nigeria Customs Service may be expected this year as indica­tion has emerged that the fed­eral government may revise the foreign exchange restric­tion placed on importation of 41 items into the country.



Customs had attributed the restriction among other factors to the reason it could not meet its revenue target in 2016.



Zonal Coordinator, Zone `A’ of NCS, Assistant Comptroller-General Monday Abueh, dis­closed that the Federal Govern­ment may reverse the foreign exchange restriction order.



Abueh disclosed this in Ibadan during his familiarisa­tion tour of Oyo/Osun Com­mands as part of his visits to Customs formations under his jurisdiction.



The Central Bank of Nige­ria (CBN) had on July, 2015, restricted 41 items, including vegetable oil, poultry products, cosmetics, plastic and rubber products, among others, from access to foreign exchange.



The apex bank said the coun­try had the capacity to produce those items locally.



Abueh said that when gov­ernment’s policies were rolled out, they were in the interest of the people, adding that Nige­ria could not be enriching oth­er countries by allowing some banned items into the country.

He therefore appealed to officers to be fully sensitised about implementing govern­ment’s policies anywhere they were posted to serve.

On the ban placed on the importation of rice anf vehi­cles through the land borders, Abueh urged officers to ensure non-passage of both items into the nation.

He said that smugglers might be trying to make Oyo and oth­er land borders their alternative routes since security at Idiroko and Seme has been fortified with serious surveillance.

The zonal coordinator who said that the Comptroller-General had redeployed offic­ers to land borders’ commands to ensure that nothing escaped through all the routes in the areas, called on the officers to learn excise operations to assist in cargo clearance.

 Abueh said his visit was meant to remind them about the Federal Government’s po­lices as well as the directive giv­en by the comptroller-general to ensure security and protec­tion of lives in the country.

“Officers should be mindful of their duties and responsibili­ties as you embark on your pri­mary assignment.

“If you are careless in your duties and if you are caught, you will be held responsible for your action,” he stated