Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has lampooned the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over the recent controversy surrounding import duty on vehicles.
Recall that the management of the NCS had debunked widespread speculation that it has reduced duty on vehicles from the current 35 percent to 20 percent.
Speculations were rife at the weekend that the duty rate applicable on Common External Tariff (CET) trade portal on vehicles under HS Code 8703 had been reduced to 20 percent
But a Deputy Comptroller of Customs and the National Public Relations Officer of the Service; Mr Timi Bomodi had claimed that the so-called reduction was an error.
However, in a swift reaction to the statement by the NCS, the Vice President of ANLCA, Dr.Kayode Farinto, alleged that the NCS goofed to have inform the general public that the changes on the rate of duty were done in error.
Farinto said the statement is far from the true position, while insisting that the rate of duty on used vehicles with HS code 87033320 is now 20%.
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Farinto urged all freight forwarders not to capture with the 35% import duty on vehicles.
He further explained that the HS code of fully-built vehicles which clearing agents used last week,(HS 87033319 ) has been changed on the system to 20% as at Monday April 4, 2022, while also alleging that it is obvious that the management of NCS has flouted the WCO directives to always inform the stakeholders and carry them along on issues of operations, due to self-imposed targets by pretending not to know that the trading community deserve to be informed of any changes on it.
The ANLCA top man also advised the Federal Ministry of Finance to always put the freight forwarding associations on notice on changes as regards operational matters and policy issues since the present management team of the NCS has failed in their responsibility to do so.
He added that the trading community has the legitimate rights to know of such changes.
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