The decision by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, to commence the implementation of a new policy that will jerk up duty on imported fairly used vehicles has sparked unrest among customs agents who staged a protest in Lagos, yesterday. The new policy which was supposed to start by July 1 saw the duty on imported fairly used vehicles increased from 20 per cent for import duties and levies to 35 percent.
The placard-carrying agents, under the umbrella of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANCLA, and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, made a stop at Vanguard Newspapers, Lagos office to air their grievances. A representative of the aggrieved agents, Mr. Israel Adegboyega, told Vanguard that until last week, agents paid 20 per cent for import duties and on levies, but have now been mandated to pay 35 per cent on duties and another 35 per cent on levies.
According to him, “we are protesting against government’s constant increase in import duties of tokunbo cars. “We don’t want that and there is no sensible reason for it. We protested against it about two months ago when the government first brought it up. “Even then, we were told that the new charges would begin on July 1. We did not even agree with them on that. But suddenly last week, the new charges took effect without the authorities informing anyone.
“The implication of this is that, what cost about N200,000 before will now cost about N500,000. We are not fighting just for ourselves, but for the importers and the masses. “Imagine how much more it will cost people to purchase cars. If a car that was sold at N600,000 before now costs about a million to purchase. “We have been meeting with the officers of Ports and Terminal Motor Services Limited as well as the Comptroller-General of the Customs.
“We want them to come back to the former rates. If they do not, it means there will be drastic reduction in importation of tokunbo cars and this will give people the opportunity to go to Cameroon and Cotonou to purchase them. “As a result of this, Nigeria will lose revenue. Our people will be hungry and so many people will be jobless.” Another freight forwarder, Mrs. Bola Awojodun told Vanguard: “Last week, when we came to work, we saw that the 35 per cent policy has taken effect. We don’t want it.
Let them revert to the former policy, we are all agents, we are giving almost all the money to them. “If we pay 35 per cent for duties and 35 per cent for levies, how do they want us to feed ourselves and our children?”