The Nigerian Customs Service on Wednesday denied the allegation
by licenced customs agents that it had started the implementation of the 35 per
cent duty on imported used vehicles.
Mr.
Chris Osunkwo, Spokesman for the Tin-Can Island Customs Command, told the News
Agency of Nigeria that the customs was only collecting the 20 per cent duty on
new vehicles.
“At
no time did the customs collect 35 per cent duty on second-hand vehicles.
“The
July 1 directive by the Federal Government on the item still stands. We are not
collecting such tariff until July 1.
“The
government says that we should collect 20 per cent duty on new vehicles and 35
per cent duty on used vehicles but the latter has not come into effect,’’
Osunkwo said.
Osunkwo
said the customs wondered why the agents had been protesting that the directive
had been implemented ahead of the July 1 implementation date.
The
customs spokesman advised the clearing agents to redirect their grievances to
the government.
But
Mr. Chuks Kanikwu, General Secretary, Association of Nigerian Licenc ed Customs
Agents vowed to continue to protest the sudden implementation of the policy.
“Because
of the sudden implementation, most clearing agents had run into debt because
there is usually a contractual agreement between an importer and the agent.
“The
clearing agents had already entered into this agreement with the hope that the
implementation of the tariff will start on July 1.
“If
an agent returns to the importer to ask for additional money, the agent will
become a liar and this is not good for business,’’ Kanikwu said.
Kanikwu
told NAN that the ANLCA members were sad over the sudden implementation of the
policy.
He
urged the Federal Government to re-examine its National Automotive Policy,
which occasioned the increase in the duty, pending when car assembly plants
were in place.
NAN
reports that the agents began protests on the issue since May 6.
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