The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that the e-auctioning process of vehicles recently introduced is more transparent and has so far raked-in more money than in the past.
In a telephone chat with Shipping Position Daily recently, the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr. Joseph Attah, said that the process is in the best interest of all the stakeholders, both for the government that needs revenue and for Nigerians that need equal opportunity.
“Our experience has shown that using this process the Nigerian government realised more money than they have been realising in the process, either through the process they are using or through a normal process of the past. So what we are doing is in the best interest of all stakeholders, government that needs revenue, Nigerian that want equal opportunity as against the past where due process was not considered. If you have been following the e-auction you will know that it is a competitive process. There is a reserved price which is the basic duty that must have been paid for that particular vehicle and people bid and compete for and hours before the winner emerge”
He also reassured Nigerians that all overtime cargoes would be auctioned in due time.
“Overtime vehicles will be auctioned, whenever there are overtime vehicles they will be auctioned. They should know that the auction process is ongoing; it has started since July this year it is going gradually. When the vehicles are due for auction they will be. Overtime vehicles when they are totally valued they will be auctioned and you are aware that the e-auction process is ongoing. So it is ongoing and it will get to those places”
This is coming few days after the management of Five Star Logistics Limited and Ports &Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML) complained that their terminals are flooded with over time vehicles.
On the statistics of the vehicles sold so far through the e-auction process, the customs image maker said that it will be very difficult for him to give the accurate figure.
“Sometimes you journalist ask certain questions that are not fair, we are colleagues in this together, do you think this question is fair. Tell me how you expect me to know the statistics of the vehicles that have been sold. How will my brain be able to tell you all these, you know this question is not fair. You are telling me to collect the details of all the commands, how many vehicles that they have sold and all that”, he concluded.
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