By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
The Kwara Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, says it will begin collection of the new excise duties on beverages and cigarettes from factories in the state.A statement by the Command Public Relations Officer, Chado Zakari, on Thursday in Ilorin, said that the excise duties were under the 2022 fiscal policy measures approved by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fiscal policy include Supplementary Protection Measures for the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff 2022-2026.It also included excise duties of N10 per litre on non-alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and Tobacco products effective from April 1, 2022.The policy provided a grace of 90 days to enable the excise factories producing non alcoholic beverages and cigarettes to key into the new directive, which commenced on June 1, 2022.The Comptroller of the command, Aliyu Bello, who visited all the excise factories in the state, said it was to ascertain their level of production and compliance to the Customs extant laws.
The companies visited were the International Tobacco Company, Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Industries, Seven UP Bottling Company, Remitola International Multi Biz and Orion Agro Industries Ltd.Others are Donswep Industries Ltd, Njoku Global Ventures, Ascodin Nigeria Enterprises and Neolman Food and Beverages Nigeria Ltd.”The familiarization tour is aimed at bringing all the excise factories under control and to equally block all leakages.”We will continue to take deliberate steps to work with excise factories and other critical stakeholders to reposition the Command.”We will not relent on any effort to ensure total conformity to prompt payment of excise duties,” Bello said.
The comptroller demanded for transparency and openness by the companies, warning that any attempt to short-change the government would not be tolerated.He advise the companies to ensure strict compliance to the new tax regime, as this would guarantee them the full benefits of trade facilitation.
Bello stressed that the command would discharge its duties diligently in suppressing smuggling, and enhancing trade facilitation and revenue generation.The factories managers in their separate remarks, pledged total compliance to the fiscal policy, adding that their relationship with the command over the years has been very cordial. (NAN)
