The Senate, on Tuesday, okayed the sum of N238,149,325,832.70 for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for 2020 fiscal budget.
This approval was sequel to an adoption of the presentation by the committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and subsequent consideration at plenary.
DAILY POST also learnt that Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has warned MDAs to submit their audited accounts or risk punitive measures.
Senator Francis Alimikhena, who is chairman of the committee, said out of the total expenditure for the year 2020, N98.61 billion representing 41.41 percent is for Personnel cost; N15.95 billion representing 6.70 percent is for Overhead Cost; and N123.59 billion representing 51.89 percent is for Capital Cost.
Alimikhena also said the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has a revenue framework of N1.5 trillion to be remitted to the Federation account; and N178.7 billion to Non-Federation account for the 2020 fiscal year.
He further disclosed that the NCS in 2020 will undertake the recruitment of three thousand two hundred (3,200) officers and men, as well as implement the Customs Service Salary structure for 15,892 officers and men of the Service.
But Senate President, Lawan in his remarks hailed the Customs Service for accomplishing its revenue target in 2019.
Lawan also underscored that the Seven percent collection from the Federation account due the agency is an incentive intended to motivate the revenue generating agency to live up to the expectations of its responsibility.
“This Customs Service is a revenue generating agency, last year the report says they performed so well and even collected above the target, this is what we want.
“So, if there’s anything we would be doing is to encourage our revenue generating agencies to perform. We should be giving them incentives even when there’s none actually, so that we are able to get more and more resources.
“I believe that from those of our colleagues who have served in the Customs know there’s improvement in the customs service today,” he said.
