The House of Representatives has identified four banks that have refused to remit N10.6 billion collected as customs duty to the federal government.
The House Committee on Customs banks identified these banks as Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Standard Chartered Bank, Ecobank and Providus Bank, during a hearing on Wednesday.
The Chairman of the Committee, Leke Abejide, said out of 18 banks being investigated, four are allegedly owing the federal government about N10.6 billion in unremitted Customs duty collections.
The Executive Director, GTB, Haruna Musa, said some of the figures out of the N103 million liability tagged as unremitted have actually been paid by the bank.
The Ecobank Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Adekola Adeleke, insisted that the bank is not owing the Federal Government.
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The Group Head, Public Sector of Providus bank, Nasir Muhammed, said out of the N213 million collected, N129 million was submitted late and the remaining balance will be paid promptly.
The Chairman of the committee warned that any bank found wanting or holding on to funds collected on behalf of the Nigeria Customs Service will be sanctioned and the outstanding deducted from their accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Abejide said, “Well, we have given them two weeks to go and come back. After these two weeks, we will not have any other option than to write the CBN to deduct the money from source.”
