Contrary to reports that the Federal government may have shifted the effective implementation date for the levy component of the new auto policy, the Nigeria Customs Service Wednesday said it has commenced the implementation of the levy component of the policy as earlier directed by the Federal government.
You may recall that Primetime Reporters last week reported that Federal government has granted an extension of the commencement date from July 1, 2014 it earlier set for the kick off of the Levy component of the policy to January 1, 2015.
The report has it that the extension plan which was made known at a well attended summit organized by the National Automotive Council (NAC) was to put all the stakeholders’ fear about the new auto policy on the table and assess the success or otherwise recorded.
Primetime Reporters further gathered that the decision to further extend the implementation date by another six months was informed by the fact that none of the assembling plants had actually rolled out vehicles in commercial quantity. In addition, there were issues bordering on standardization as well as the stiff opposition from stakeholders.
But in a telephone interview with Primetime Reporters on Wednesday, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Customs headquarters Abuja, Mr. Wale Adeniyi confirmed to Primetime Reporters that the Service has commenced the implementation of the levy component of the automotive policy with effect from July 1, 2014.
Adeniyi whose response was short and straight to the point while reacting to the threats by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to embark on series of Protests across the nation should the Service go ahead to implement the levy component which the government said it has extended from July 1, 2014 to January 1, 2015 queried, “ have they started the protests? Well, if you say that they are monitoring the situation, we too are also monitoring the situation”.
On the said extension of the implementation date for the levy component by the Federal government, Adeniyi however disclosed that the Service was yet to receive any circular to that effect as a result would go on with the subsisting commencement date of July 1, 2014 until otherwise stated.
With this development, all fairly used vehicles popularly referred to as Tokunbo imported into the country are now to pay a 35 percent duty and a 35 levy bringing the total percentage payable on vehicles imported into Nigeria to 70, a situation which agents has since said was capable of running them out of business.
Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has said that it would resist any attempt by the Federal Government to subtly and hurriedly implement the 35 percent levy which it has said that it would delay implementation by six months the way it hurriedly implemented the duty in May 2014 against the commencement date of July 1, 2014 it earlier agreed with critical stakeholders.
Speaking during the National Executive Council Meeting of the association held in Lagos on Tuesday, the National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, declared that any attempt by the Federal government through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to implement the 35 percent levy would lead to “series of demonstration, placards carrying and eventually withdrawal of service” by the association.
According to him, “since the government said that it has extended the commencement date for the levy, if for any reason just like they did before…you remember that the 35 percent was suspended and they brought it immediately, if that levy commences again, action must be taken immediately. That is the position of ANLCA,” Shittu said.
The stand of the National President was immediately endorsed by the majority of the delegates at the meeting who indicated their support for the decision by raising their hands in unison.
He said that although the association had communicated its position on the platform of the Maritime Advocacy Action Group (MAAG) on the automobile policy, it was working in collaboration with the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) to draw the attention of the government and the Nigerian masses to their positions on the automobile policy using the platforms advertorials which would begin to flood the media from next week.
Prince Shittu said that the auto policy was to the detriment of his members and the Nigerian economy and the association would do everything within its capacity to fight the policy noting that as the representatives of the importers, they have to stand on the side of the importers more because they are more favorable to the agents than the government.
“What affects a few of our members, affects all of us. Government cannot make a policy that will take food away from us and we keep quiet. And give room for smugglers because many vehicles are passing through unapproved routes which is affecting the economy of our members,” Shittu lamented.
The ANLCA boss charged his Zonal Coordinators and chapter executives to keep an eye on the Nigeria Customs Service and ensure that the protests were carried out the instant the implementation of the 35 percent levy is noticed.
Also during the meeting, ANLCA threatened to shut down the ports over the condition of the port access roads especially as it affects from Mile 2 to Tincan Island ports adding that ANLCA would no longer tolerate the neglect of the roads that hinders smooth flow of cargo in and out of the ports and increases the cost of doing business at the ports.
He lamented that the poor state of the port access roads have claimed the lives of two members of the association saying that the situation was no longer acceptable to the association even as he said that the association was working in collaboration with port stakeholders like the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and to some extent, the Maritime workers Union who were yet to give their consent in to shut down the ports until the government takes charge of its responsibilities as regards the port access roads.
“It is getting out of hand that all approaches to the ports where the government is making billions per day they don’t care about, not even for them to do palliatives. Many of our importers have lost their cargo due to cargo falling. There is going to be collaborative efforts of stakeholders where we will leave the ports for government to run and it is going to be as soon as it can”.
