PUTRAJAYA: The total revenue collection of the Customs Department as of Dec 2 this year has reached RM61.35 billion.
Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin said the achievement exceeded this year's revenue collection target of RM56 billion set by the Finance Ministry as well as the target revision on Oct 18, which was RM61.17 billion.
"As of Dec 2, the department has recorded a revenue collection of RM61.35 billion, a surplus of RM5.35 billion compared to the original projection of RM56 billion.
"In other words, the department has exceeded the initial target of RM56 billion and the revised target of RM61.17 billion," she said in a press conference yesterday.
Anis Rizana said the success was the best post-pandemic.
Anis Rizana said that for 2023, the department recorded a revenue collection of RM51.95 billion up to Nov 30, 2023, compared to the current year's collection of RM60.96 billion up to Nov 30.
This shows a revenue increase of RM9.01 billion, equivalent to 17.34 per cent.
Anis Rizana said that as of Dec 2, the department had successfully thwarted attempts to smuggle and evade customs duties or taxes in 6,708 cases.
"These cases involved the seizure of various types of goods including taxes worth RM1.532 billion. This shows an increase of 73.26 per cent, which is RM647.82 million compared to the same period in 2023," he said.
She said the five main commodities that recorded the highest value of seizures for the period January to Dec 2 were vehicles, drugs, cigarettes, liquor and textiles.
Anis Rizana said that the proud achievement was the result of reforms in the department, including digitalisation in customs transactions and the use of scanning machines with artificial intelligence (AI) features.
She said that the momentum would be maintained by the department so that sustainable achievements could be achieved through a sustainable strategy to contribute to the prosperity and development of the country.
-- BERNAMA