New Co-ordinator of the Comptroller General’s strike force, zone ‘A’, Aliyu Mohammed Alkali says all infractions associated with import and export business will be drastically curtailed within his jurisdiction as a matter of policy.
Alkali, a Deputy Comptroller of customs disclosed that this is one way of ensuring that goods on prohibition list are not allowed free entry into our domain, while insisting that appropriate revenue is collected on dutiable products without shortchanging the government.
He told our Editor that his men are more than ever determined to surpass the N2 billion monthly revenue target given to it, which places it on a weekly burden of N500 million.
Though, this revenue will be coming through the raising of Demand Notices (DN) on goods which appropriate duties were not paid, the Strike force would not unduly suffer any compliant traders with unnecessary charges. Trade facilitation, he noted, remains the crux of its operations for the honest importers.
Alkali stated that in looking at the quantum of revenue the strike force sill generate, it will be leveraging on technology.
He stressed that the anti-smuggling operations would be majorly based on intelligence from within and from other patriotic Nigerians, adding that smuggling has become a serious economic crime which must not be allowed to fester.
‘We are going to step up on monitoring, surveillance, while intensifying our patrol operations ‘, he deposed.
The Co-ordinator alluded to the fact that, though a different and wider zone, but he is on a familiar terrain, having worked at the Apapa command from where he was posted to Port Harcourt as Co-ordinator of the CG Strike force.
‘Having worked at the premier command, I can easily access intelligence on any questionable cargoes and do the needful ‘
He promised to rejig the operations of the Strike force fir greater result.
Alkali noted that though, he had always met his revenue targets in zone C, Port Harcourt, he will redouble his team’s efforts in order to meet the mandate given to it.
He however, dismissed insinuations that he was Press shy , but insisted that different responsibilities, timing and location will naturally demand different strategies, promising to carry members of the fourth estate of the realm along in his new assignment.