THISDAYonline

Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Tayo Ogungbemile, said yesterday in Abuja, that his major priority for the service is to ensure improved revenue collection for the Federal Government.

In his speech at the commissioning of the Automated Systems for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday, Ogungbemile said, "I will like to use this my first official assignment to make clear my official vision, which is to ensure maximum collectable revenue for government."

While warning that there would be no room for corruption and breach of rules during his tenure, Ogungbemile said, "I will not hesitate to sanction infractors of the rules and reward compliers."

The customs boss stated that the provision of the ASYCUDA at the Abuja International Airport was meant to simplify the process of cargo clearance at the port.

The Abuja ASYCUDA project, the 16th customs office to be connected to the system, is the first time ASYCUDA Customs Processing Centre will be embarked upon without the Community Computer Centre of the ECOWAS's involvement.

The ASYCUDA procedure basically, is to control and monitor the movement of cargo as soon as it comes under customs control until it is cleared after payment of necessary taxes, which are calculated by the system.

In his address, the Area Comptroller, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, F. O. Amasa, said with the commissioning of the project, Abuja Airport's operational procedure has been put at par with standard digital operational procedures in place at other customs posts and airports in the country.

He noted that ASYCUDA would provide fast and accurate information when fully developed and interfaced with systems in banks, NACHO and other organisations that have shared roles in goods clearance with the customs.

He assured that with the commissioning at the airport, the service was now in a position to guarantee goods clearance within 48 hours, and ensure accurate data management, storage and retrieval.