The African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has applauded the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) on his call for the reduction of age limit on imported vehicles describing it as a good move if it could actually be implemented.
The President, APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite who made the position of the association known on the matter in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Tuesday noted that it was not the best for Nigeria to serve as a dumping ground for rickety vehicles adding that the rickety vehicles imported into country accounted for most accidents on the nation’s roads.
Ogunojemite disclosed that in Ghana, one would be made to pay twice the price of bringing in a new vehicle in duty for importing old vehicles even as explained that this was with a view to improving the living standards of the people and reducing the rate of accidents in the country.
According to him, “If the government can actually do this, it will be fine and the pollution in the country will be reduced too.”
He observed that the reason people would be talking of the age limit on imported vehicle was because of the price and the cost of bringing the vehicle into the country.
“But I remember vividly about seven years ago in England when the government directed that anybody that has a car that is over fifteen years within England should take it to a dealer and get fifty percent off. So, in this case, they are forcing people to review their standard.
“However, if seven years could be implemented, that will be fine but government has to take back the control of Dollar. If you look at the Dollar now, the exchange rate in this country makes people sad and it keeps going. It is like government has lost control of Dollar. So, we have to look at that (Dollar rate) and look at the duty, all these incentives will encourage the people as nobody wants to start using old product.
“We want to improve on our lives but people look at it from the point of cost. So, the government, when making the implementation, has to look at the cost, the exchange rate with probably the Ministry of Finance and the CBN”, he stated.
Recall that the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) during his budget defence at the National Assembly recently pushed for the reduction of age limit on imported vehicles into the country believing that such move will reduce the number of rickety vehicles imported into the country.
The present age limit on imported vehicles into the country is fifteen years from the date of manufacture. It was raised from ten years to fifteen in 2010.
Photo: The President, APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite.
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