Automobile dealers have lauded the decision by the Federal Government to ban importation of vehicles into the country through land borders, saying that the policy has increased operations at the Roll On Roll Off (RORO) terminals.
In a chat with newsmen in Lagos last week, the Chief Executive Officer, Limozzy International Nigeria Limited, Comrade Moses Ilima, lauded the initiative saying that it has restored the fortune of the nation within the region.
He also maintained that the closure on land importation of vehicles has also brought a boom to the revenue collection of the customs, adding that the money that would have been used to enrich the citizens of Benin Republic is now being used for Nigerians.
According to him, the ban has also increased activities of the clearing agents at the ports. He pleaded with the federal government to reduce the charges placed on imported vehicles so as to encourage more Nigerians into the business.
Ilima, also explained that the persistent traffic gridlock experienced along Apapa, Oshodi expressway is negatively affecting dealers on that axis which he described as the biggest automobile market in Africa.
He also blamed truckers for indiscriminate parking of trucks on the road to the market, thereby causing unnecessary traffic and untold hardship for the dealers.
He said: “You can see a lot of gridlocks here which tells you that a lot of clearing is going on; although to our detriment and the truck drivers are not conducting themselves very well at all. First of all, let the government do something about the trucks in this environment because this problem has been with us for about five to six years and it is affecting the sales of vehicles around this area. Berger here is about the biggest auto market in the whole of Africa and if people are finding it difficult to access this place, it is a big problem for the whole nation because we contribute a lot to the economy of this nation”
He lamented that sales have been very low lately, even as he attributed that to the state of the economy.
“Sales generally are dull now, but car business is actually seasonal. For about two to three months now, it has been terrible to say the least, but we hope that we have entered September now, it will pick up. There is no money in circulation because if there I money in circulation, definitely it will go round. The economy is down generally. We keep importing hoping that things will get better and business will move. The closure of land border shifts focus to the seaport” he lamented.
Similarly, Ekene Izu an importer of used vehicles further corroborated Moses’ view, saying that the ban was in the interest of the general public and to further boost revenue drive of the government.
Recall that the Federal government, in December 2016 stopped the importation of vehicles from neighboring ports within the West Africa region.
According to customs, the ban which took effect from January 1, 2017, the ban covered all new and used vehicles and was sequel to a presidential directive restricting all vehicle imports to Nigeria sea ports only. The order took effect from January 1, 2017.
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