PUTRAJAYA: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department is targeting to collect RM56bil in revenue this year, says its director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin.
She said the target, set by the Finance Ministry, is about RM1bil more than last year’s collection.
Customs collected RM55.1bil last year, which is RM1.6bil or 3% over its target.
“We have mobilised our machinery to ensure the target can be met,” she said at the World Customs Day celebration, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, here on Tuesday (Jan 23).
Anis Rizana said as an agency responsible for enforcing the country’s laws and border control, the department had successfully stopped a total of 7,771 smuggling cases with a seizure valued at RM56mil last year.
The biggest seizure for last year involved 807.9kg of fentanyl (a potent painkiller) worth RM44.4mil, she added.
“In an effort to win the confidence of more investors to Malaysia, the department has been consistent in expediting and strengthening cross-border trade facilitation.
“With the right balance between revenue collection and facilitating trade, economic growth will be great,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister announced an additional RM50mil allocation for housing and other infrastructure needs of the department.
He said this was on top of the RM2bil allocated for housing for civil servants.
“The department has done tremendous work in collecting revenue for the country. So we'll add RM50mil for them,” he said.
Anwar also commended the department’s staff for their hard work and dedication in collecting revenue for the country’s coffers.
“While we acknowledge their contribution, it is also important they ensure that leakages are plugged so that revenue collection remains strong,” he said.
