Tujoromajo Kasuto
The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) has collected over N$2.8 billion in revenue in the financial year ending 31 March 2023 collected from customs and excise.
Today is International Customs Day, which is observed in Namibia in Oshikango, Ohangwena Region.
During the event, NamRA Commissioner Sam Shivute praised customs officers for successfully intercepting various consignments of illicit goods that harm society.
He stated that the actual revenue collected from customs and excise was N$ 3,689,392,331 (revenue from operations) and N$ 14,751,204,760 (revenue from SACU) for the fiscal year 2021/2022.
Meanwhile, the revenue collected from customs and excise for the current fiscal year 2022/2023 already amounts to N$ 2, 800,440,254 (revenue from operations between April and December 2022), which gives him plenty of reasons to celebrate this day.
This year’s theme, “Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs,” is, first and foremost, consistent with NamRA’s desire to embrace knowledge management as a business philosophy.
“Secondly, it rightly fits with the various initiatives that the Department has embarked upon and finally, it fosters the next generation of global citizens, creates the optimal atmosphere for knowledge-based innovation that uses information technology as a platform, aspires to share knowledge, and enhances effectiveness and efficiency by accumulating, utilizing, and growing all sorts of knowledge,” said Shivute.
The Commissioner went on to say that NamRA has many reasons to celebrate this day because of the many accomplishments made by customs officers in offices and at various entry points over the last year.
These are the implementation of the Customs Modernization Programmes such as the Advance Ruling, the SADC Electronic Certificate of Origin, Container Control Programme (CCP) and the Unique Consignment Reference which we will be launching soon. Our customs officers also managed to intercept various consignments of illicit products that are harmful to our society,” he said.
He added that NamRA will continue to build on the legacy left by the government through the Ministry of Finance by making January 26 an important day on nations’ calendars in accordance with World Customs Organization protocols (WCO).
The purpose of International Customs Day is to recognize the global customs community’s efforts, particularly those of Namibian customs households.
Customs officers, as essential border employees, are responsible for facilitating legitimate international trade, collecting taxes, and ensuring the safety and security of the community and the country.
Meanwhile, Walde Ndevashiya, Ohangwena Regional Governor, spoke at the event and expressed gratitude to the officers for their good work in Oshikango, highlighting how smuggling of prohibited items such as fuel from neighbouring Angola has dominated NamRA’s work in the region.
“They have also made unprecedented seizures of different types of drugs and other substances worth millions of dollars, thanks to their cooperation with the Namibian Police
and the community. The seizure of such items protects our society in many ways and we should therefore commend Customs officers for always being ready to serve this great Nation,” he said.
Similarly, Mayor Of Helao Nafidi Darius Shaalukeni said that given the crucial role customs officers have and play, it is befitting to recognize and show appreciation to them by
gathering in the town today.
“Most of you are aware that the Oshikango border post is one of the busiest in the country and as you marched through the main street during the parade, a hive of business activities was and is visible. Customs contributions towards these activities cannot go unnoticed and on behalf of the Helao Nafidi community and the nation at large, I wish to say thank you to our custom officials for working every day to positively impacts the livelihoods of every Namibian. Tangi unene!” he said.
