By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

ABUJA—The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has cried out over the loss of about N27, 841, 830. 732 to the implementation of the Export Expansion Grant Scheme in the first half of the year.

The Comptroller-General , CG, of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, said the loss was attributed to the use of Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate, NDCC, to cover import and excise duties that would have been paid by beneficiaries of the scheme.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Wale Adeniyi, quoted the CG as saying  “an unfolding ugly trend in the implementation of the scheme was worrisome.

“It was the same trend in 2009. During the first half of the year, the nation had lost N 12.5 billion to NDCC. This, on the surface, should translate to increase activities in the export sector, with its multiplier effects. Unfortunately, our record has not supported that position.”

He challenged beneficiaries of the scheme to make public the number of jobs they have created and their production output since the inception of the scheme in 2006.

“On our part, we can say that we have not recorded any importation of raw materials and machineries that explains the use of NDCC in such magnitude that we have seen in the period,” he said.

Reacting to media reports that the Service had issued directives to its area comptrollers to dishonour all importations covered by NDCC, the Comptroller-General stated unequivocally that the Service was still committed to the growth of the nation’s non-oil sector.