Customs income in January this year was €3.2 million higher than the same month last year, official figures show.

The spike was due to economic expansion, an increase in consumption and greater efficiency and controls.

The department said in a statement that an additional €1.54 million was made from excise duty, an additional €1.47 million from VAT, an additional €51,449 from import duty and an additional €184,712 from other income.

This meant that although Customs had changed a lot of its functions, it retained a strategic fiscal position ensuring an adequate income for the national government and the European Union.

The department took the financial interests of the government and the EU seriously fronting attacks on all types of evasion.

Meanwhile, although 2017 was a good year for Customs, the department was determined to continue improving the situation month on month this year by increasing efficiency and strengthening enforcement.

It would be doing this by investing in its human resources and in modern technology, it said.

Income from import duty:

January 2017: €1,321,376
January 2018: €1,372,825
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An increase of €51,449

Income from excise duty:

January 2017: €22,952,202
January 2018: €24,501,016
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An increase of €1,548,814

Income from VAT collected directly by Customs:

January 2017: €8,946,503
January 2018: €10,421,756
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An increase of €1,475,253

Other income (fines, rents, sale by offers, sale of excise stamps, tax on bunkering, etc)

January 2017: €206,352
January 2018: €391,064
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An increase of €184,712

Total income:

January 2017: €33,426,433
January 20178 €36,686,661
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An increase of €3,260,228