There seems to be an upsurge in the importation of vehicles into the country as the Yuletide season gradually approaches.
When Shipping Position Daily visited Tin-Can Island Ports last Thursday, the atmosphere was very tensed as the two major terminals, Five Start Logistics Terminal and Ports & Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML) a Roll-On Roll-Off terminal (RORO) were very busy with imported and cleared vehicles moving to their final destinations.
It was observed by our correspondent that unlike what obtained last year where damage vehicles were the order of the day, vehicles coming in this year were fairly new with little or no damage.
One of the clearing agents who gave his name as Mr. Tochukwu Nwaigbo, that operates at Tin-Can port attributed the change to the relatively stable forex experienced this year unlike last year.
He however expressed satisfaction with the way the government have been able to stabilize the economy in the past few months, adding that to some extent, the situation has brought succor to clearing agents operating at the nation’s maritime domain.
Nwaigbo also attributed the upsurge in the number of vehicles coming into the country through the seaport to the closure of land borders.
He added that before now, some of the vehicles that have been coming through the seaport would have come in through land borders.
“I will say that the increase in the volumes of vehicles coming into country by the time of the year is mostly what obtains every year. But, I will say this year’s own is very significant in the sense that the importation is a bit higher because the Forex has been stable for some time now”, he said.
Speaking on why most of the vehicles coming in are not damaged, he said people can now afford to buy relatively new vehicles because according to him, the older the vehicle the higher the duty.
“The officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are trying to enforce a new policy whereby if you bring in older vehicle the higher the duty you pay”
Explaining further he said, “If you bring in a Multi-Purpose Vans (MPV) below 15years of age, you will pay higher because they are regarded as over-aged vehicles now. I am pleased with that; it will help to sanitize the type of vehicles that are imported into the country”
Also speaking, a freight forwarder who simply gave his names as Mr. Emmanuel said that it is a normal thing for an upsurge in vehicle importation at this time of the year.
According to him, Nigerians in diaspora use vehicles importation as a means of sending money to their families here.
“You find out that most of the vehicles coming into this country especially this period are always loaded with household materials, like rugs, kitchen utensils, cloths, shoes amongst others. And some of them will end up selling both the vehicle and what is inside, because that is the way their relations living oversees send money to them here in Nigeria”, he said.
Meanwhile, a car dealer at the popular Berger Automobile market, Mr. Chinonso Dominic said that patronage seems to have started picking up, even as he blamed the dilapidated access roads into the market as one of their major challenges.
“No doubt, patronage has started picking up and it is what we normally see every year but our major challenge is the dilapidated nature of the access roads into the market. Some people will choose to patronize car marts in other parts of the state when they consider the terrible situation of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway”
He however pleaded with the federal government to come to the aid of automobile dealers at Berger market by ensuring that the road repair is hastened.
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