Even as the Buhari-led government has assured that it would review the National Automotive Policy in order to set an effective implementation framework and incorporation, operators in freight business and the automobile sector have appealed to the government to be proactive to revive the sub sector.
The operators lampooned the government for its long silence in ensuring that both issues of local assembly of vehicles and duty payable on imported vehicles are addressed.
According to them, the APC-led government had promised to reduce tariff on vehicles imported into Nigeria, yet the situation has gone from bad to worst.
Freight agents and car dealers who spoke to Auto Port Weekly urged to government to tackle the recent hike on duty as a result of foreign exchange, saying that the government might encounter some complications in the process of reviewing the automotive policy.
However, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah disclosed in Lagos recently at a stakeholders meeting on the controversial automobile policy which was put in place by ex- President Goodluck Jonathan.
The policy raised tariffs on imported vehicles from 20% to 70%, thereby leading to the diversion of Nigeria-bound vehicles to ports of neighbouring countries, especially Benin Republic.
Enelamah assured the gathering that the Buhari led government is working out modalities to achieve result on the policy.
But speaking with Auto Port Weekly in Lagos on the development by the government to revisit the policy, Operations Manager, Virtues Marine and Freight Services Limited, Mr. Okafor Chukwuma, urged the government not to be harsh with importation of vehicles into the country.
Chukwuma said government needs to put in place structures to ensure balance of trade is attained during the review processes.
He added that tariff on vehicles must be reduced it is wants to achieve any positive results from the stakeholders.
He further advised that there is need for the government to put a time frame for the manufacturers to ensure that the vehicles locally made can compete with the ones imported, in order to achieve certain level of trade equilibrium.
On his part, Principal Consultant Ekene O International Limited; Mr. Ekene Obeleagu advised the automobile companies to start mass production of vehicles which would later discourage importation.
Obeleagu lamented that with the new hike on duty payment, it will be difficult for government to come out with a clear cut policy on the move to review the auto policy.
The car dealer further advised that for local manufacturing of vehicles to thrive, the manufacturers must churn out cars at cheaper rate for the masses in order to dicsourage importation of vehicles into Nigerian ports.
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