Customs records N184m In Ogun Free Trade Zone
BEVERLY HILLS, March 09, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has disclosed that it generated the sum of N184 million from Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone located in Igbesa in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, between January and December 2015.
The total revenue raked in from excise duty and other levies by the Ogun Area Command of the NCS, according to Waindu Multafu, Controller of the command, increased by over N21 million compared with what it generated during the same period in 2014 adding that the command had so far raked in N18.8 million in January and February 2016.
Speaking during a working visit to Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone in Igbesa on Wednesday, Multafu called on all investors operating in the FTZ to respect government policies that guide their operations, asserting that investors and entrepreneurs could help grow Nigerian economy.
Visiting the zone with his counterpart from Federal Operation Unit, Ikeja, Lagos, Dahiru Umar, Multafu revealed that the industrial zone was established to engender smoother business relationship between Nigeria and China as well as other nations adding that the zone was meant majorly for international trade and infrastructure development in and around the zone.
According to him, the visit was necessary as he and his FOU counterpart had only spent less than two months in the state and needed to know what was being produced by all functional industries in the zone as the NCS was working assiduously to ensure all revenue leakages were blocked with a view to shoring up its marginal revenue generation.
Umar in his intervention charged all investors in the FTZ to be sincere in their operations, which would enhance the efforts of all agencies, particularly NCS, to come up with accurate calculations in terms of quantum of raw materials brought into the zone that would determine the rate and value of duties on products for export.
He however expressed displeasure at the laxity, in terms of adherence to safety regulations, in some of the industries in the zone.
Earlier, John Xue, CEO of the Ogun Guangdong FTZ, revealed that no fewer than 50 companies had berthed in the zone with 30 among them already operating and about 4,500 Nigerians had been employed.
He added that a pharmaceutical company, Xion Pharmaceutical, had made a commitment of $1 billion to the zone, besides the German engineering company, Bosch.
He however joined the NCS to task Governor Ibikunle Amosun to fix Igbesa-Agbara roads for smooth haulage of raw materials and finished goods in and around the industrial estate.
Story by David Oputah