Reps panel asks customs to name beneficiaries of N34trn import duty waivers

The house of representatives committee on finance has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to provide a detailed breakdown of the N34 trillion worth of import duty waivers granted in 2025, including the beneficiaries, legal basis, and objectives of the concessions.

The directive was issued on Wednesday when the NCS management appeared before the committee as part of the national assembly’s ongoing revenue monitoring and oversight exercise.

James Faleke, chairman of the committee, said while lawmakers are not opposed to the federal government’s waiver policy, there is a constitutional duty to ensure such concessions are granted transparently and in the national interest.

He said the committee wanted to know who benefited from the waivers and whether they achieved their intended objectives.

“Waiver is good. It is not a bad thing to grant a waiver. But we want to know those who benefited from the waiver and the purpose for such waiver,” Faleke said.

“It is okay if you grant a waiver on medical and agricultural products.

“If you grant a waiver, it is aimed at helping the economy to grow. For example, if you grant a waiver on agricultural products, it is aimed at reducing the cost of food. So, we are not against a waiver. But we want to know the beneficiaries of this N34 trillion waiver.”

NCS QUERIED FOR INCONSISTENCY IN REVENUE REPORTING

The committee also queried the customs service over what it described as “inconsistencies in its revenue reporting” despite the agency exceeding its annual collection targets.

Faleke said the records presented by the service did not sufficiently explain the sources of revenue collected above approved targets.

He said lawmakers require a month-by-month breakdown of collections.

“We are not going to applaud your efforts now because your account books are not balanced,” he said.

“We know that you want to be transparent, but you have not told us how the excess money you are reporting came about.

“I can see that in some months, you under-declare your revenue collection and in other months, you overshoot the collection. We want to know what is responsible for this.”

Saidu Mohammed Abdullahi, deputy chairman of the committee, said the federal government should consider raising the revenue targets assigned to the customs service, arguing that its consistent outperformance showed it could generate more revenue.

“In 2024, you were given a target of N5 trillion and you generated N6.1 trillion. In 2025, you were given a target of about N6 trillion and you generated N7.2 trillion,” he said.

“I believe that if we push you enough, you can do better.”

Responding, Bashir Adeniyi, comptroller-general of customs, represented by Kikelomo Adeola, deputy comptroller-general in charge of finance, administration and technical services, said the NCS does not approve import duty waivers.

Adeniyi said the service only implements waivers approved by the federal ministry of finance in line with existing laws and government policy.

On trade facilitation, the comptroller-general urged state governments to invest in inland dry ports, saying the facilities would reduce congestion at seaports and speed up cargo clearance.

“I will encourage all state governments to invest in inland dry ports. That will have a lot of impact on our operations,” he said.

“Any cargo that is marked for such inland port will not be delayed at the main port.”

On July 14, customs said import duty exemption certificates (IDECs) issued by the federal government rose to about N34 trillion in 2025, affecting the agency’s revenue generation. (TheCable)