Lae customs nets K700m annually

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday 05th December 2011

By ELLEN TIAMU
CUSTOMS in Lae nets K700 million annually for the national coffers, says assistant customs commissioner northern Francis Nipuru.
He was speaking during a three-week intensive training for 26 people from public and private agencies wanting to be customs agents.
Nipuru said the figure translated to about
K49 million per month in import excise, import duty and import GST.
“The figure could have been much higher if LNG developers were not exempt from the payment of tariffs,” he said.
Nipuru said valuation of goods, import and export were crucial for customs as it determined the correct formulation for the collection of state revenue.
He said with the booming economy fuelled by LNG and the mining sector, the country would experience an increase in the volume of trade. Customs agents were in the frontline and should be working to protect the country and facilitate trade, he added.
He urged participants to be honest in their work ethics, saying there would be times when the officers would come across information that were vital to customs.
He said it was also important that they worked together to raise revenue to improve the lives of the majority of the rural populace who still lacked basic education, health and road facilities.
Nipuru pointed out that understanding the basics of their trade would help it in an
efficient and timely manner.
He said customs general segments were significantly important and PNG Customs Tariff classification complied with international standards of the harmonised system of tariff.
The workshop training is held every five years.