Just one year into the Federal Government policy which outlaws vehicle importation through land borders, the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), has begged the government to re-open the closed borders, even as the association promised to work with the government to ensure that no vehicle escapes payment of duty.
Speaking recently with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos, the Chairman ‘Dealers association’ of AMDON, Mr. James Brown Nwakwuoke, said that it is difficult for a country to exist without land borders, adding that a lot of vehicles still come in without paying duties.
“We want our government to re-open land borders, how can a country exist without land borders. Let them open it and those of us that are in the system will stand and ensure that wherever those vehicles are coming from, their duties must have been paid fully, I mean 100% duty payment. A lot of vehicles are even coming in through the ports without payment of duties. If we are given the powers to stay in the border by having our stand there, it will enable us to ensure that any vehicle coming in must have fully paid its duty, we cannot leave it at the hand of end users”, he stated.
He also expressed disappointment over the practice where a buyer after purchasing a vehicle, will be stopped and his vehicle seized by Customs.
“You will see a vehicle without even knowing that no duty was paid on that vehicle. Like the case I am settling right now where a buyer bought a vehicle of more than N14million and no duty was paid on the vehicle. But as I am talking to you today, they have paid the duty on the vehicle to the federal government’’, he added.
He also pleaded that the Federal Government should work with dealers more. ‘’What we are saying is that the government should carry us along in the fight of ensuring full payment of duty. I am the chairman of car dealers in the whole 29 park here in Berger and we don’t like a situation where someone will come and buy a vehicle from us and on his way home, the customs will stop the person and seize the vehicle, that is what I am saying’’.
I want a situation where the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) will be given a stand in some borders to checkmate vehicles coming into the country without payment of duties, we have chapters in some parts of the country”, he concluded.
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