The Ports and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML) chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has once again explained that there is an increase in the volume of vehicles coming into the country through the seaports.
The PTML chapter chairman of the association, Mr George Okafor, who said this in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Tin-Can Island last week, attributed the development to the closure of the land borders.
“Normally, since the closure of the borders it has made the importation of vehicles through the seaports to go up. As the border is closed, the only option they have is to come in through the seaports, so activities in the area of vehicles importation have increased”
Explaining the high rate of damaged vehicles coming into the country, he said, “in the area of the importation of damaged vehicles coming in I am not an importer, so I don’t consider all those things. What I consider is whatever the importer declares, that is genuine I will facilitate it”
According to him, “vehicles’ coming into the country through the ports pay duty, what you may be talking about is the ones coming through the land borders. What you can say is if they pay appropriate duty and as you know duty is not sacrosanct, it is 35% of the cost (CIF)”
Speaking on the valuation on imported vehicles, he said. “It depends on the CIF you present to the valuation officer, then they will give you the cost. But the problem we are having is that some officers don’t know the tariff”, he concluded.
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