By; PETER NOSAKHARE, Kaduna
Clearing agents operating in the nation’s maritime sector have threatened to embark on a fresh strike if the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), fails to review its price charts for imported vehicles.
According to the agents, the Customs’ current price charts for duty payments on imported vehicles are obsolete and overrated
This is coming three weeks after the NCS, suspended for one month its Vehicle Identification Number/e-Valuation Policy for imported vehicles, asking freight forwarders to clear their backlog of vehicles trapped in the ports.
In an interview with newsmen on Wednesday, the Tin-Can Island chapter’s Chairman of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Abayomi Duyile, said although the NCS had reverted to the manual system for duty assessment, the duties were still about 40 per cent higher than “present market conditions.”
“We have gone back to the manual system of issuance of values. However, we are still having a few challenges in the sense that some of those prices are still 40 per cent above the current market realities. This is simply because the Customs chart from which the officials get the value is yet to be reviewed.
“What we are trying to explain to them is simple. Let us assume the chart was issued in 2011, and for example, they issued 24, 000 dollars for the 2010 model of a brand of vehicle; you know that by 2022, which is about eight years after, there is a need for a review of that amount in order to take into cognisance the fact that from 2011 to 2022, the car must have been used and there must be wear and tear,” he explained.
“He added that, “we are asking for a review of the chart in order to conform to the present market reality; the Customs can then do the needful which is about a 50 per cent rebate. We are ready to pay but they are not willing to review the chart. However, we are waiting for them because the one-month period given by the Customs expires next week Thursday.
