Following the recent move made by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to regulate the influx of imported used vehicles into the country, a frontline stakeholder in the maritime industry, Mr Lucky Amiwero has frowned at the agency’s move; even he added that the move contravenes government policy.
The agency through its Director General, Joseph Odumodu had said recently that from August this year, the agency will regulate the standard of imported used vehicles into the country.
Following the recent move made by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to regulate the influx of imported used vehicles into the country, a frontline stakeholder in the maritime industry, Mr Lucky Amiwero has frowned at the agency’s move; even he added that the move contravenes government policy.
The agency through its Director General, Joseph Odumodu had said recently that from August this year, the agency will regulate the standard of imported used vehicles into the country.
But reacting to the assertion by SON, Amiwero told Auto Port Weekly in Lagos that it is not the duty of SON to regulate the importation of used vehicles.
Amiwero who is the Managing Director of Eyis Resources noted that imported vehicles into the country can only be regulated by policies of the government which has to do with age limit.
He said that the move will contravene government policies adding that the agency of the government does not have the apparatus to test imported used vehicles which arrive at the country through the seaports.
The factional national president of the National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents(NCMDLCA) reiterated that the agency functions do not extend to inspection of imported vehicles, but advised the only thing that SON can do is to sponsor for advocacy through the ministry of finance.
He further noted that, ''the ministry of finance is the body that has the power to do what they want to do. SON was established to regulate products and they are supposed to look at the laws whether it accommodates the move of regulating imported cars”, he stated.
According to him, importation of vehicles into the country centre around government policies and it is the government alone that can come up with such decision and not an agency of government.
He said that importation of cars can only be controlled through the implementation of the policy on age limits, pointing out that, "you don't regulate cars you control cars through policy of age ".
"If SON wants to do that, they have to interface with the minister of finance and then put up a proposal.”
"You can regulate cars because we don't produce or manufacture cars in the country, SON does not have the test machines to regulate cars, so how can they say they want to regulate imported cars", Amiwero asked.
He urged that the SON should take an incisive view of the law establishing it and compare it with the policies of the federal government on imported used vehicles into the country.
Amiwero also added that SON needs to comply with the laws in order not to contradict the functions of other government agencies.
" There is what we call vehicle control measures which is either done by age or by the odometre and government can come up with a committee to do that if the policy on ground does not favour the economy, thus it is not an issue to mount people into port then say we want to regulate imported vehicles", he warned.
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