There are indications Thursday night that the Federal Government may have rescinded its earlier decision to enforce its new tariff on used vehicles following a widespread protest that greeted the new policy on the wake of its enforcement by the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Nigeria Customs Service on Wednesday commenced the enforcement of the the new automotive policy that imposed a 35 percent duty and another 35 percent levy on used cars with a life span of ten years and a 35 percent duty and zero percent levy for commercial vehicles with a lifespan of fifteen years, an action which sparked off a peaceful protest by members of the Freight Forwarding Associations at the Tincan Island ports in Lagos on Thursday.
The Senior Special Assistant to the National President on Media, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Joe Sani in a text message delivered to Primetime Reporters last night informed that the federal government had directed the Nigeria Customs Service to suspend the new tariff and revert to the old tariff on used cars and commercial vehicles.
Sani said that the recent position of the federal government on the matter was conveyed to the National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu via a telephone Call from the Aso Rock Villa.
According to Sani,” due to the peaceful protest by Customs agents against the automotive policy of the federal government as directed by the National President, the federal government has been forced to revert to the old tariff on used cars. This was conveyed to the National President from the Villa”.
The text message however warned members to desist from returning to work at the ports until the customs implement the recent directive of the federal government on the matter.
“Members are directed to return to work only if customs implement the directive”, the statement warned.
Meanwhile, the Founder, national Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam in a text message has confirmed the development but said that his members can only return to work when the new directive is seen to be obeyed by the customs.
Priemtime Reporters investigations revealed that the new automotive policy was suspended by the federal government until July to further allow for further consultation on the policy with a view to coming up with a more favourable policy that will be acceptable to Nigerians.
