PTML Command Collects N87.8bn In Six Months

By Our Correspondent

The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of Nigeria Customs Service has collected a total of N87,818,715,427 as revenue for January to June 2020 which is 16 per cent higher than N75,706,005,990 collected within same period of 2019.

According to a statement signed by the Command’s spokesperson, Mohammed Yakubu, the collected figure for 2020 is the highest half year collection achieved by the command since its formal commissioning in August 18, 2006 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the country’s first privately built Roll on Roll off(RoRo) port for vehicles in the country.

The collected figure exceeded what was realised last year same period by a total of N12,112,709,437 which ,according to him, translates to 12 percent increase.

Yakubu attributed the increase in revenue collection to high volume of trade and due diligence of the command’s operatives under strict supervision of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Festus Okun.

He said Okun has put increased supervision machinery in place, ensuring that officers were fully on ground before and during the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic while observing all laid down protocols as advised by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and relevant health institutions .

The CAC also reiterated his advise to car importers to avoid using neighbouring countries and smuggling vehicles through the land borders as the long arms of the law will always catch up with th

Okun reassured that with flawless compliance in the areas of sincere declarations and prompt duty payments, cargoes can be exited from his command within 6hours .

Trade facilitation and ease of doing business without compromising national security and government revenue have also been areas of priority, he said.

A breakdown of the collection shows various degrees of percentage increase in 2020 figures above that of 2019 except for the month of April where a 15 percent shortfall was recorded in 2020 showing a collection below what was made in 2019.

In January this year,the command collected N16,456,582954.22 which was 11 percent above N14,850,154,616 of same month last year. N13,300,872,189.64 was collected in February 2020 which is 33 percent above N10,024,673,259 for 2019. For March 2020, N15,646,193,726.04 was collected with a 32 percent difference from N11,853,972,028.

In April 2020 N11,241,400,914.48 which was the only month in 2020 first half a shortfall was recorded. The collected sum was 15 percent below N13,282,567,334 that was made in same month of 2019.

For the months of May and June of both years in review, May 2019 was N12,352,449,543 while May 2020 was N13,661,428,914.48 showing 11 percent difference while June for both years was N13,342,189,210 and N17,512,236,904.07 respectively with a difference 31 percent increase.