Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA, has lamented the alleged outrageous Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy introduced for all imported vehicles by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). ANLCA, said the VIN Valuation policy is outrageous and lacks transparency.
The Vice President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Dr. Kayode Farinto in a chat with the media over the weekend said the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy introduced for all imported vehicles by the Nigeria Customs Service is not helping the nation’s economy as it lacks predictability and unable to drive revenue collection. He said for over two weeks now since the new method has been introduced, clearance of vehicles has been stopped due to the outrageous VIN values by the Customs.
Recall that VIN was recently introduced by the NCS to give a uniform and acceptable values to all imported vehicles into Nigeria. not minding the port of landing. Hitherto, vehicles of same year and make were often charged different duties in different ports in Nigeria.
Narrating the difficulties experienced by freight forwarders and customs brokers, Farinto said that the main purpose of VIN valuation for imported vehicles has been defeated, even as thousands of imported vehicles are currently trapped at the seaports.
“We won’t be tired of informing the Nigerian government about what is happening in our industry. In the last one week, our members were unable to clear vehicles from the ports as a result of introduction of VIN by Customs.
“Let me take you down memory lane, why should we opt for VIN valuation? You will agree with me that before now, I was one of those that said there was no uniform value on clearance of vehicles. For example, if you have 2015 Camry in Tin Can, Apapa and PTML, you will never pay the same duty on them and these vehicles are going to the same market.
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“This is causing serious unease for our members, it encourages corruption and it is making us not to have predictability. One of the first criteria of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is that, there must be predictability in Customs clearance. Hence, we now say okay, give us uniform value or key into that of Ghana system, that is where the issue of VIN came onboard,” Farinto said.
Farinto opined that before Customs implement any policy, it is expected to collaborate with stakeholders especially the licensed customs brokers, adding that Customs needs to subject their value to public criticism for stakeholders to have their inputs.
However, he argued that the introduction of VIN is not helping the economy, stating that it has made clearance of cargoes; particularly vehicles stagnant in the past one week, as vehicles are now accumulating storages at the nation’s seaports.
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