Following the outcry over the rigors associated with the new policy on custom duty payment, the Comptroller-General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) has approved an adjustment on points of payment as well as 60 per cent reduction across board from 2015 downward to ease the process and encourage all car owners and dealers who are yet to pay up custom duties on their vehicles to do so.
In a press briefing held yesterday at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja, the Public Relation Officer, Mr Joseph Attah said with the adjustment, the point of payments with exception of Lagos and Port-Harcourt will now be the nearest Custom Area Command spread across the country while those within Lagos and environs will pay at Zone ‘A’ Headquarters in Yaba and Ikeja and those in Port-Harcourt can pay at zone ‘C’ Custom Headquarters.
On issue of car owners who are not sure if duty was paid on their vehicle, Mr Attah said such owners/their representative and others can take advantage of the grace period of 13thMarch to 12th April provided by Custom to go to the nearest pay-point for assessment and payment; adding that the 60 per cent rebate applies only within the grace period.
While explaining the rational for the adjustments, he said
“For the avoidance of doubt, the decision to grant a grace period for auto duty payment was not a sudden one, but a product of consultation with leadership of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) who pleaded for a ‘window’ to pay duty on all unaccustomed vehicles within the country before the ban on vehicle importation through land borders.”
“We believe that when all vehicles are properly registered and owner’s identities tied to them, National Security will be enhanced.”
To adequately carry out the implementation of the policy, Mr Attah disclosed that the Service is in an on-going collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS) Federal Road Safety Commission (FIRS) Vehicle Inspection officers (VIO) and the Nigerian Police Force NPF) in the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and those who faults the new policy will not be able to obtain licence or register their vehicles in Nigeria.
It would be recalled that Senate on Tuesday, ordered the service to suspend the directive until it has duly appeared before the Senate to brief it on the rationale behind the move; Mr Attah while responding to this said
“Senators are respected representation of the people and have said that they will be expecting some visits from Custom, I am confident that the information that will be made available to them will help to shape opinion and position on this issue moving on.”
Source: Leadership
