…as Senate decries N1.3trn revenue loss to waivers, concessions in 2023
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has disowned details of the Customs’s $3.2bn modernization project.
Adeniyi said this at a public hearing organised by the Senate Joint Committees scrutinising the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.
The Customs CG was represented at the hearing by a Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, DCG Mba Musa.
Members of the Senator Sani Musa-led Joint Senate Committee had inquired for details of the agreement signed by the Federal government on the Modernization of Nigeria Customs from the CG.
In response, the Customs representatives denied knowledge.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had in April 2023, approved the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) modernisation project, also known as e-customs, despite a court order restraining the federal government from going ahead with the initiative.
The administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari specifically approved the implementation of the Customs modernization project to a concessionaire.
The concessionaire is Bergman Securities Consultant and Suppliers Limited as the project sponsor, Africa Finance Corporation UFC as the lead financier while Huawei Technologies will be trained as a lead technical service provider.
However, stakeholders have continued to criticize the project, saying its main objective is to mortgage the future of the service and also inimical to national security.
Mba while addressing the issue before the Senate Panel said, “We are not privy to details of modernization agreement of the Nigeria Customs Modernisation Project,” Mba told the federal lawmakers.
He revealed that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) lost N1.3 trn in 2023 due to waivers and concessions the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration granted to investors.
According to him, the NCS would have generated more revenue to the nation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2023, if not for waivers and concession arrangements.
Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee, Sani Musa, expressed the Senate’s displeasure with the situation noting that the Senate would investigate the regime of waivers and concesions in Nigeria.
Misa said, ” By now, we shouldn’t be talking about concession for cement manufacturers, we should not even be talking about sugar importation.
“We should not deny ourselves, revenues that we should generate to make our economy vibrant. By now, we should be consolidating on waivers given to boost revenues.
“We would review the waivers and make our recommendations. By now, you (NCS) should be meeting up on your projected target, if there are no waivers.” (Vanguard)
