The Freight Agents working at the Ports and Terminals Multiservices Limited (PTML) Wednesday continued their strike action to press home their demands.
The agents had on Tuesday downed tools to protest against what they called the premature implementation of the new automotive policy of the federal Government earlier enforced by the Nigeria Customs Service in February this year which was later suspended to allow room for further consultations.
They wondered why the policy which was scheduled to commence on the 1st of July, 2014 would be enforced by the PTML command of the Nigeria Customs Service wondering what might have prompted the action this time around.
The agents maintained that until the PTML command reverts to the old regime on the imported vehicles and wait for the commencement period as announced by the Federal government, they would not go back to their duty posts.
A visit by Primetime Reporters to the Terminal on Wednesday saw some agents standing and discussing in groups about the new trend and what the future holds for them in the industry with the enforcement of the said policy.
Recall that the Nigeria Customs Service had earlier in February began enforcement of the new Federal Government automotive policy on imported vehicles which saw the duty payable on used vehicles jerked up from 20 percent to 35 percent as well as a levy of 35 percent bringing the total payable rates to 70 percent.
The action however did not go down well with the agents who embarked on massive protest across all the ports within the Western Ports leading to the suspension of the policy by the Federal government.
Speaking to Primetime Reporters on the matter, a freight agent, Mr. Tony Anakebe said that the agents stayed away from their duty posts since Tuesday to protest the premature implementation of the new automotive policy which was initially suspended by the Federal government to commence on July 1, 2014.
Anakebe wondered why it was only PTML command that rushed into implementing the policy now when other commands were still waiting for the outcome of the consultation the federal government said it has embarked on adding that they would want to know who had issued the directive to the command.
According to him,” for PTML to commence implementation of this policy one month to two months before the actual commencement of this policy, we the agents are asking them, are they different from other customs command? Since the Presidency y has announced a date, why should the customs now start the implementation before the date and that is why the agents are protesting”.
“So we want to know who directed particularly the PTML customs command to start the implementation immediately”.
He disclosed that although nobody has communicated to them from the Customs command since the action began on Tuesday, he learnt that the Comptroller General of Customs was getting in touch with his men at the PTML command expressing the hope that succor may come their way by Friday.
On his own part, the Vice Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), PTML/Grimaldi chapter, Alhaji, Lameen Aliyu told Primetime Reporters that the federal government said it came up with the new policy which it believe would revitalize the automobile industry in the country arguing that the claim lacked merit as the said automobile industries were non existent in the country before now.
He maintained that the policy if allowed to remain would rob off adversely on the Nigerian economy since the action would end up building up the economies of the nation’s neighboring countries which would cash in on the opportunity created for them by this policy.
He said,” the effect of this is going to tell on Nigerians, one, the economy will definitely go down thereby building our neighboring countries economies to prosper because, this same vehicles, Nigerians will not bring them in directly to Nigeria, they will send them to the ports of the neighboring countries and from there, they will bring them in to Nigeria. This is penny wise Pound foolish”.
“They told us that by 1st of July, they will implement the new policy, now we have not even gotten to June, this is May 7th, and they have now brought in this policy. Who is going to pay? Nobody is going to pay”.
He therefore vowed that the stay away from work action would continue until the federal government heeds to their demands.
Reacting on the development, the Customs Public Relations Officer, PTML Command, Mr. Steve Okonmah said he was surprise to hear from Primetime Reporters that the agents were protesting saying that the agents had approached the command on the matter and made some observations where they robbed minds together after which the agents saw reasons with them.
He stated that the development was beyond them as a command disclosing that the command had to commence the implementation of the new policy when a Toyota Corolla car it cleared recently attracted an alert from the customs headquarters at Abuja.
According to him, on inquiries, the command was told that the vehicle ought to have been cleared at the new duty rate of 35 percent and not the old 20 percent the vehicle was cleared with.
“And immediately, my CAC called the agents on Friday by 5.30 to 6pm and addressed them and told them that please this thing is not from us, we are only agents of the government trying to collect revenue for the government’.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), they also came to us for a meeting where we all agreed and they said that they know that we are handicapped”, Okonmah said.
He however dismissed the claims by the agents that the policy which was earlier suspended by the government was set to commence on July 1, 2014 challenging anyone with any circular to that effect to come up with it.
”The people who are telling you July 1, did they give you any circular to that effect? Did they produce any circular to you that it is July 1st? Nobody has the circular!” Okomnmah said.
While refuting the claims that it was only the PTML that has commenced the implementation of the new policy, he disclosed that the trend cuts across all customs commands including Apapa and Tincan Island ports arguing that before the end of Friday, they would come to terms with the reality.
He said,” the CAC is not happy that they are not working because if they don’t work, there won’t be any revenue to collect. His drive here is revenue and if they do not pay their duty, the revenue will not go up”, Okonmah summed up.
