*As Customs half-year revenue collections hit N2.7trn
*Borders still tight against smuggling of unwholesome foods
Existing regulations on food importation still remains unchanged despite the latest presidential order suspending payment of duties on imported grains, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi has said.
The Customs boss received some members of the House of Representatives at the Service’s headquarters on Wednesday who were on oversight visit.
He said the trade regulatory agency has begun to study the new temporary policy introduced by the Federal Government to boost food supply and tame inflation in the country.
“We are still studying it (suspension of duties on foods) ourselves. There is nothing in that pronouncement that says the extant rules have changed apart from the suspension of the tariff and taxes. Things that are not allowed through the land border have not been allowed by that pronouncement,” he said.
He also disclosed that Customs has generated about N2.7 trillion in the first six months of 2024, hitting slight above government given target of N5 trillion for 2024.
The Customs CG told members of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise that while the order by the President is aimed at addressing hunger in the country, It is not aimed at opening the border for smuggled goods to enter the country.
He said: “There is nothing in that pronouncement on that because nothing was said about it. But if there are specific issues or requests that will be made from border areas, we can articulate them as input to the Minister. What was released recently as a product of several months of consultation.
“The objective is for us to address hunger in Nigeria and not to provide a base for smuggling through the land border. So, we have to be very careful in the implementation to ensure we don’t get undesired objective from it.”
Responding to the issue of customs officers raiding markets in search of smuggled goods, he said “Let me issue a disclaimer. I did not authorise any Customs Officer to go to any market. We are not supposed to go to any market or operate in the market.”
