Customs sure of reaching target

National

PNG Customs is confident of reaching its target specified in the budget, Chief Commissioner Ray Paul says.
Paul told The National that Customs had projected its revenue generation would be up by 10 per cent and it has lived up to that expectation.
He said PNG Customs generated K2.5 billion including import GST (goods and services tax) every year.
Customs had in the last five years brought in a total revenue of about K11.9 b from K235 million the Government provided.
Paul said the container examination facility (CEF) which opened in January this year has improved revenue collection by about 10 to 15 per cent.
“We projected when we commissioned the CEF that our revenue would be up by 10 per cent and we have lived up to that.
“We are confident to reach our target for this year that has been specified in the budget book for 2017.”
He said PNG Customs has a number of plans and strategies in place to assist with the 100-day plan announced by the government.
Paul said this would be part of their ongoing business and what Customs had been working on.
“One of them is improving our targeting and profiling of containers, and we are putting our documents together.
“We have provided our inputs to our minister, Charles Abel, and we’re now waiting for our directions on the priorities that we will
work towards achieving as an organisation.
“We believe a whole of government approach can assist with challenges before us. We will be supporting this and the government is supporting this on the revenue side.
“At the end of the day, we need more economic activity to generate all these revenues,” Paul said.
“For every K1 we give close to K100 back to the government, so that’s the level of investment.
“The cost of running this place helps us to generate more revenue, so whatever it is the tools are very minimal, but the amount that we give back is more,” he said.