Reps committee raises Customs’ revenue target to N1.679 trillion

By Tom Okpe

The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise on Tuesday raised the revenue target for the Nigerian Customs Service in the 2021 financial year from N1.465 trillion to N1.679 trillion.

The House Committee, made the increase when the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali appeared before it, to defend its 2021 budget proposals and performance of the 2020 budget.

The increase is the retention of the initial approved target in the 2020 budget before the advent of Covid-19 pandemic which caused the sum to be revised to N1.380 trillion.

Chairman of the Committee, Leke Abejide said the decision of the lawmakers was based on the reduction in the effect of Covid-19 on economic activities with the availability and administration of vaccines, approval given to the Service on proposal for carbonated drinks.

Abejide acknowledged that despite the adverse effect of Covid-19, the Nigerian Customs Service was able to generate N2.211 trillion so, it can do better now, that the pandemic is being curtailed, charging the agency to meet the targets of the budget.

“Initially, before Covid-19 emerged, the sum of N1.679 trillion was given to the Service to generate and despite the Covid-19 you were able to generate N2.211 trillion and collected N350 billion Value Added Taxes (VATS).

“So, when we look at all these, we see that we cannot go to the floor with this proposal and this is our conclusion, we want to stand on the initial target given to you last year.

READ ALSO: Agric ministry collaborates with other stakeholders on diary production

We are not going to increase it, we are to stay on it at N1.679 trillion and we are not going to touch what you proposed or the target you gave to yourself on the issue of VAT,” he said.

While defending the 2020 budget performance, the Customs Boss, Ali said the Service collected a total revenue of N1.211 Trillion for the period of January to December 2020.

“When compared with the approved revenue target of the same period January to December 2019, the Service surpassed its target by N114.78 Billion or 10.47%.

“The Service also collected the sum of N350.63 Billion as Value Added Tax (VAT) on Imports from January to December 2020, thereby bringing the total collection to N1. 562 Trillion for the period under review,” he explained.

On the 2021 budget, the former military Governor of Kaduna State said the revenue target for the year which is based on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) approved by the National Assembly is set at N1.465 trillion, consisting of N1. 267 trillion for the Federation and N198 billion for non-Federation.

According to the CGC, the Service proposed a budget expenditure of N242.45 billion, out of which personnel cost is allocated N99.72 billion, overhead cost takes N19. 53 billion and capital cost gulps N123.20 billion.

He identified e-customs project, tariff review on vehicles, reintroduction of import taxes on petroleum products, expansion of excisable items border reopening, stakeholders collaboration, amongst others, as the budget objectives and strategies to improve revenue generation by the Service in 2021.