70% DUTY ON IMPORTED VEHICLES:  Customs Admits Error, Says ‘We’re Still Collecting 35% On Used Vehicles’

The Nigerian Customs Service yesterday corrected what it admitted as error in the collection of 70% duty on imported used vehicles, which was reported exclusively by Shipping Position Daily yesterday. It blamed the error on its technical partners; Webfontane.
Speaking with our correspondent on the development, Public Relations Officer of PTML Customs Command, Mr. Steve Okonma said that Webfontane had uploaded the 70% duty on the customs system in error. He however assured that the mistake has since been corrected.
Okonma said that the customs is still collecting the 35percent duty on used vehicles and 70percent on new ones.
"People have been asking me, but I have been telling them that there is no circular to that effect, the old rates still existing, we just had a meeting this morning and the CAC said we are still operating on existing 70% for new vehicles and 35% on old vehicles"
"Yesterday, there was a slight problem we had with Webfontane, when they realised the mistake it was corrected immediately, this was why we did not give out value yesterday because of the mistake in the system" Okonma said.
Also speaking with our correspondent immediately after a closed door meeting with the PTML customs management yesterday, Public Relations Officer of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Mr. Ayo Sulaiman said the 70percent duty has been reversed.
He said,"there was an error yesterday, the error was made into the system by Webfontane, we came to the Comptroller this morning for a meeting and he told us that Webfontane acted on their own that there was no directive, this is very bad of the service providers"
Also speaking, a frontline clearing agent at the PTML command, Mr. Gani Adeola confirmed that the duty was jerked up by customs on Monday.
Shipping Position Daily had reported exclusively yesterday that Nigeria Customs Service has commenced collection of 70% duty on all imported vehicles, and that the collection started on Monday.
The development caused anxiety at the seaports, especially the PTML command where clearing agents told our correspondent that the changes are already being reflected.