Its Controller Y. U. Bashar, who spoke in Lagos on Monday, August 8, while receiving stakeholders in the maritime industry in his office said the statutory function of the command remained revenue generation and facilitation of legitimate trade.
He stressed that efforts were being made for port users to comply strictly with alid down rules and standards of operation. He said the operations, processes and procedures of the NCS are fully automated to boost the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government.
The Controller however, said trade facilitation could only be achieved when the importers and clearing agents are transparent in their declarations.
Reacting to the increase in the exchange rate for calculating import duty, Bashar pointed out that the NCS as an agency of the Federal Government is charged with the implementation of its fiscal policies in terms of trade.
“It is instructive to note that the NCS by its statutory role, does not determine exchange rate, but only rely on the CBN to update us with the information in accordance with its establishing act. It is therefore, pertinent to note that the current situation is beyond the Customs,” he said.
The Controller added that the Command’s operational methodology is in tandem with the change ideology of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), which encompasses discipline, integrity, transparency and due diligence.
He told the group that there is a paradigm shift in the operational system of the command aimed at ensuring that the time of cargo delivery is reduced to the barest minimum.
