Smuggled rice
No single vessel of imported rice has berthed on the Apapa Port in the final two years, in response to the Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
This is an indication that many of the overseas parboiled rice discovered in the native markets was smuggled into the nation through land borders.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had in 2015 listed rice among the many 41 objects restricted from accessing overseas change (foreign exchange) from the Nigeria foreign exchange market.
Thus, importers desirous of importing the commodity should source for his personal foreign exchange with out recourse to the official market.
The Controller, Apapa Command, Jubrin Musa, who disclosed this throughout a media chart in Lagos, stated because the final two years, the CBN had not issued Form M to any rice importer, including that the Command has not recorded any income on imported rice through the port inside the interval.
He stated: “Form M issuance shouldn't be inside the purview of the Nigeria Customs Service. It is a doc that's sourced from CBN.
If we see any consignment that has kind M, we deal with. All items imported which are for business actions will need to have kind M whether or not legitimate for overseas change or not legitimate.
CBN does that and we solely deal with after we see however all through final yr up to now, no importation of rice has handed through Apapa. So we've got not collected any obligation on rice through the port.”
Musa stated regardless of the zero obligation recorded on rice, the Command has not fared badly in its income era, because it has adopted varied measures to up its income, noting that because the launch of the Customs NICIS 11 automated platform, the command’s income has been on the rise.
He stated the Command collected N28billion in April; N33billion in May and N30billion as at June 28th, including that in line with the Executive Order on 24 hours port operation, and working round the clock whilst he dismissed claims by brokers that officers don't report early for cargo examination.
He nevertheless famous that one of many challenges the Command faces is the poor state of the port entry street, which has made motion of products in and out of the realm troublesome for customers.
“We function around the clock. If anyone desires to take his consignment in the night time, he can come however the roads are so horrible, so no importers will wish to take his items through this sort of street in the night time for safety causes.
So persons are cautious that's the reason they're avoiding the night time.
“The unhealthy street is affecting motion of products inside and out of doors of the ports however the command is contending with the issue.
We hope that when the street is lastly performed, actions will decide up and there shall be sooner motion of supply of consignment of the port,” he stated.