Oluyinka Onigbinde
The management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has bowed to pressure by suspending the controversial Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy that was recently introduced by the service for imported vehicles.
The policy which led to impasse between licensed customs agents and the service, which eventually led to the shutdown of port activities in the past two weeks, has now been suspended for 30 days.
Confirming the development to our correspondent on Thursday, the Secretary General, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr Mukaila Babatunde, said that the suspension will enable importers whose vehicles have been trapped at the terminals to clear them.
He confirmed that, “the VIN valuation policy had been suspended by Customs for the next 30 days. This is better, so that vehicles can leave the various terminals and we will see what they will come out with.
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“We are not against VIN valuation policy, but, we are against the outrageous value. We have asked them to consider accidented vehicles and mileage of vehicles imported as stated in the Customs Law.
So, let’s see what they will come out with in the next 30 days,” Babatunde said.
Although there has been no official statement from the service, the ANLCA scribe informed our correspondent that the association have been informed that the policy has been suspended to allow importers take delivery of their vehicles while they sort out complaints raised by the clearing agents.
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