A chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Biola Sulieman has charged the federal government to emulate Ghana’s policy on vehicles importation, which is, the higher the year of a vehicle, the lower the duty payable.
Biola who said this in a chat with Shipping Position Daily at TinCan Island Ports, Lagos last week, said that the policy will help encourage many Nigerians to bring in newer vehicles unlike the rickety ones they bring in.
He accused the federal government through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of discouraging importers from importing new vehicles through the outrageous duty being collected.
“Go to Ghana and see the policy on vehicle importation there, the higher the year the lower the duty; with that they are encouraging people to bring new vehicles into their country. What are we talking about, go and bring 2008 model of Camry to Nigeria and give the documents to customs and you will see the value they will give to you. Are they encouraging people to bring new vehicles to this country?”
Meanwhile, the former ANLCA chapter spokesperson, charged government ministries and parastatals to start using Nigeria-manufactured vehicles as their official vehicles in other to encourage home made vehicles.
“The local production they are talking about, how many ministries are using Nigerian made vehicles?” he asked.
He however said that the amount paid as duty on vehicles here in Nigeria is sometime 300 percent of what it will cost to purchase the same vehicle outside the country.
“What are we talking about, if I am ridding a Golf car, are my not using a car, how much is Golf in Europe. In Europe it is 150Euro, bring that same Golf in Nigeria the duty you will pay will be three times of what you bought the car over there. I am a constant traveler, I bought Golf 2 in Germany, 150Euro and the motor is sound but the duty you will pay on that vehicle will be enormous”, he stressed.
Explaining further, he blamed government policies as the major reason there are lots of rickety vehicles in Nigeria.
“It is government policy that is causing all these; all the ministers of finance that we have had since the resumption of this regime, what has been their impact in our economy. The CBN governor sat down there and banned 46 items from assessing Form M, saying they are using it to siphon hard currency out of the country.
Since they banned those items, has Dollar come down, when you introduce a policy and it is not working you will reverse it, that is what they do elsewhere” he concluded.
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