The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has frowned at the delay on the of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to implement the uniformed value on imported vehicles approved by the Comptroller-General of Customs months after the association and the Service set up joint committee to that effect.
The National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto who made the position of the association known while declaring his intention to run for the office of the Vice President of the association at the Tincan Island port last week hinted that there was a committee jointly set up by the NCS and ANLCA which was headed by a Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCG) whose name he did not mention.
Farinto noted that the uniformed value once approved, would be posted on the internet so that the importers would know what to pay at all ports.
He said,” At Abuja, we agreed that there is need for us to have uniformed value on vehicles, the CGC approved it but it has not seen the light of the day. There is a committee for it, about three DCGs and three of our members. Once there is a uniform value on vehicles, it will be posted on the internet, the importer knows what to pay, that this is what you pay in PTML, the same thing is what you pay in Tincan, at Apapa even at the land borders. When you go and short pay, then you should be ready to pay the remainder to the officer on ground. But there is need for us to have uniformed value on vehicles, if Ghana can implement it, we should be able to implement it”.
Collaborating Farinto’s position, the Chairman of ANLCA, Tincan Island Port chapter, Prince Segun Oduntan identified lack of uniformed value on vehicle as the major challenge faced by the importers and their agents adding that agents had been calling for a uniformed value to be
in place but regretted that the effort had not yielded any result because some corrupt officers were bent on frustrating it.
According to him,” We were together in Abuja to the CGC and we told him some things, we told him, if only they could give us a value base for cars, I think I will rest and agents in Tincan will rest. We made that proposal, it is there. The first meeting we went, we almost turn it to fisticuffs. They set up a committee, the DCG was heading up the committee, as of today, there are some people because of the returns they are getting, they are not ready to let go.
“I said let us have the value base of vehicles just as we have it as tariff so that you know that when you are taking 2009 motor, you know how much to charge, so that you just pay and go and clear your vehicle and what you need to make as your profit is easier for you. The only thing that is giving problem in Tincan is vehicle clearance”.
Confirming the development, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Joseph Attah said that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) approved the setting up of a six man committee comprising of three Deputy Comptrollers-General (DCGs) and three members of ANLCA to come up with measures to establish a uniformed value for all imported vehicles.
Attah hinted that both bodies reached that decision in a meeting held recently between Customs and ANLCA leadership.
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