Less than 24 hours after clearing agents at the PTML command of the Nigeria Customs Service at Tin Can Island port protested what they explained as attempt by the Customs to begin a back-door implementation of duty and levy collection on imported vehicles, the Customs has relase further information and also advised clearing agents to study the new HS Code.
Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command; Comptroller Folorunsho Adegoke told Shipping Position Daily yesterday that his command is only collecting 35 per cent on used vehicles.
Less than 24 hours after clearing agents at the PTML command of the Nigeria Customs Service at Tin Can Island port protested what they explained as attempt by the Customs to begin a back-door implementation of duty and levy collection on imported vehicles, the Customs has relase further information and also advised clearing agents to study the new HS Code.
Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command; Comptroller Folorunsho Adegoke told Shipping Position Daily yesterday that his command is only collecting 35 per cent on used vehicles.
He also confirmed release of HS Codes for imported used vehicles and advised licensed customs agents to use the appropriately.
“Note that the new levy is NOT applicable for now until 31/12/2014”, he said in a message.
According to the CAC, HS Code for used passenger vehicles are: 8702. 1020.20, 8702. 1020.29 and 8702. 9020.97. He added that the HS Code for cars/ Four Wheel Drive vehicles are: 8703.2422.00, 8703.2429.00 and 8703.3121.00.
Comptroller Adegoke also gave the HS Code for Dumpers/Lorries as: 8704.2125.00, 8704.2219.28 and 8704.2320.00.
He told our correspondent that, once this HS Code is used, it would be impossible for any officer to classify the used vehicles as new, even as he added that these HS Codes are well known to the clearing agents.
He also confirmed that he had personally sent the same message to the leadership of the freight forwarding associations, a claim that was later confirmed when it was forwarded to Shipping Position Daily by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, on Tuesday, the PTML Command allegedly began the collection of 35% duty and 35% levy on imported vehicles.
The action made the freight forwarders operating at the terminal to withdraw their services.
But the CAC explained yesterday that, it was not true that the command had began collection of 35 % levy on used vehicles, adding that there must have been a mix-up.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily correspondent on Tuesday, the ANLCA Chairman at PTML; Prince Bola Adesokan had said that stakeholders are not comfortable with the 35% levy demanded by the customs.
He demanded full explanation of the new HS Code of vehicle importation that was recently released by the customs.
The image maker of PTML Customs command, Steve Okonmah had also clarified that the 35 % levy is only collectable on new vehicles.
He assured that customs is ready to revert itself if any used vehicle has been wrongly classified as new and made to pay the 35% levy.
Discussion about this post