Reps Finance Committee queries discrepancies in sugar import data during revenue monitoring session in Abuja.

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has expressed concern over discrepancies in the data relating to sugar imported into the country and the revenue generated from the commodity.
Chairman of the committee, Mr. James Faleke, raised the issue during an ongoing revenue monitoring exercise covering the 2023 to 2025 fiscal years.

Faleke said the figures presented by the National Sugar Development Council appeared to underestimate the actual volume of sugar entering the Nigerian market, warning that inaccurate records could lead to revenue leakages.
The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin, told lawmakers that the council does not collect revenue from sugar imports. He explained that the Nigeria Customs Service collects the levy at the ports and remits it directly into government accounts.
Bakrin said the council’s role is mainly regulatory in the area of sugar imports, noting that it recommends companies for import licences based on their level of compliance in the sector, while the final approval is granted by the president.
He added that about two million metric tonnes of raw sugar imports were approved within the period under review. According to him, the council funds part of its operations through a share of the sugar levy collected by the Nigeria Customs Service and later released by the Office of the Accountant General after approval by the National Assembly.