Daniel Williams (FFAN)
Daniel Williams (FFAN)
The policy will be very detrimental to the economy if the government does not put in place assembly plants before the ban on tokunboh cars. Before embarking on such policy, I think they would have put mechanism in place that will ensure that the policy suits the masses, but if there is none, then I think government should revisit the policy on the ban of vehicles from coming into Nigeria. Again, government should note that it is not everyone that has money to buy a new car and if I don't have money to buy a new car, does it mean that I shouldn't be mobile? Therefore I think government should revisit the policy in other for it to suit the populace.
Comrade Pius David (Port Activist)
I think it is a welcome idea, because it will bring about economy development in the country and anyone who is not in support of this is a saboteur. But I will be better when the government sets up assemble plants across the federation. It is a very good policy no doubt and if it would work out I think placing ban on tokunboh vehicles can be justified but when we don't have plants in place is where the problem lies. If we can manufacture brand new cars and then government is ready to make it available for Nigerians at a lower cost, then it is very good for the country but if there is no alternative in place before the ban then it is uncalled for, because it will not augur well for the Nigeria economy.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (Deputy President NAGAFF)
I don't see the possibility of the policy to make headway, although in Nigeria, policies that are against the masses are the ones in place. Even the process of trying to increase the tariff on imported vehicles, it will not even help the issue. However I must say that I am not satisfied with the policy. At this point in time, government should not be thinking of how to ban vehicles importation, rather it should think of how to build capacity for industrialisation and technological growth. In other words if the government can improve on power supply to the masses then every other thing can follow.
Pastor Andrew Uzor. (Auto Dealer)
I think it’s a welcome development because it will help to assist the local manufacturer and it will be left for the government to increase the tariff on imported vehicles or not and the idea of outright ban on it should not come. Rather, if government should increase duty on items like vehicles then you will agree with me that it will reduce level of import and gradually we will say bye-bye to used vehicles and except for those who are bringing it in for personal use alone. I don't there anything wrong with government actions to ban the item. So the policies are ok, but the alternative must be in place first and foremost.
Raymond Ezenwaka (Berger Motor Dealers)
Government should be very careful with any decision they want to take with regards to Tokunbo vehicles, because the vehicle assembly plants are not even working yet, they should remember the middle men and the less-privileged that can not afford to buy new cars. The proposed new vehicles will cost millions of Naira, so before any action can be taken, they must ensure that all the assembly plants are on ground and working. 75 percent of Nigerians today are below the lower cadre, and if you place a ban on Tokunbo vehicles, it is going to affect them, some of them cannot even afford Tokunbo and you are talking about new cars, we cannot only believe in Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, because he is producing vehicles today, you want to ban all other vehicles.
Ezekiel Aniekwe (Berger Auto Dealer)
Before banning of Tokunbo vehicles, you have to do something first. Government said it is going to invite Toyota and other companies to start manufacturing in Nigeria before banning Tokunbo vehicles importation and I think this is okay. But if there is no way they can manufacture a car in Nigeria, how can you then ban the importation of Tokunbo cars, it’s not possible. The best is for government to increase the years of the vehicle to 2006, 2007 and so on in order to discourage the importation of junks and rickety cars, but stopping Tokunbo entirely is not okay, it is not every Nigerian that can afford to buy new cars, it runs into millions of Naira, but Tokunbo vehicle can be bought for N500,000 and so on. It is good to start the years of importation from 2005 to 2013.
Dabo Onyebuchi (Berger Motor Dealers)
I wouldn't say that the policy of the government is not good;the same government has banned Tokunbo vehicle importation sometime ago, but later, the importation continued again. The problem is that most of the Custom officers in charge of duties paid in the clearing of the cars usually do not remit it fully into the government purse, so I think government is trying to ban it in order to checkmate the excesses of these Custom officers and it is okay. The last time, government increased the years of the vehicles from 2000 to 2001, now maybe they can increase it a little more. Banning Tokunbo vehicles was done sometimes ago but the policy was not implemented. We had a few vehicle assembly plants in Nigeria, but government refused to encourage them, if they can decide to encourage these companies to come back again, then I see nothing wrong with it.
Aare Sanni Shittu (BoT, ANLCA)
The Minister of Trade and Investments has said that they are going to encourage manufacturers of new vehicles in Nigeria, this does not stop the importation of Tokunbo vehicles, this has been said and settled. But the question is; how many Nigerians can afford new cars? The policy should run in phases that is if government is serious about making sure that Nigerians use good cars, the manufacturing companies should be empowered by way of assuring them of infrastructures like regular power and to ensure that our iron and steel industries are working, other petrochemical companies must also be working in order to assist these companies, unless these are in place, the policy cannot work.
Gani Adeola (PTML, ANLCA)
It is very unfortunate that we do not have a stable policy in Nigeria and this is affecting our relationship with international businessmen. Advanced countries like America, Germany and so on produce vehicles but they still allow importation of vehicles into their country. Nigeria is not producing vehicles, we depend on importation, government is proposing to manufacture vehicles in Nigeria, it is a welcome development but that does not warrant the banning of Tokunbo vehicles, they should leave the consumers to make a choice between new vehicles and Tokunbo vehicles. Secondly, terminal operators like PTML terminals focus majorly on vehicle importation, if government bans importation of Tokunbo cars, what will be the fate of the concessionaire and the stakeholders? Millions of people will be rendered jobless, remember that government has signed agreement with these people for 25years and now they have not spent up to 10 years.
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