Honest Declaration Saves Extortion, Embarrassment, NAGAFF President Advises Importers, Agents
EZISI
*Urges govt to allow import of 25 years vehicles
By Francis Ugwoke
The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, has advised importers and their customs agents to be honest in their declarations to the Nigeria Customs Service to save themselves from the nightmare of extortion and embarrassment when clearing goods at the ports.
Ezisi said this was the only way to have safe transactions and be free from some unscrupulous customs officers and other security agents at the nation’s ports.
In a chat with SHIPPING DAY, he said, honest declaration saves importers from all forms of embarrassment and delay in clearing goods.
He disclosed that his association will carry out sensitization programme for members on honest declaration after its election.
He sensitization programme will come shortly after swearing in of the newly elected chapter officers, he said.
The NAGAFF President said his association has been having good relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), but added that the only issue was on the cost of clearing at the ports.
He called on the government to consider increasing the expiration year of vehicles that can be imported to 25 years because of the harsh economic situation.
He said, “For the customs, so far so good, except the 15 percent levy on vehicles. Before when we agitated they said 15 percent NAC, when we protested they removed the NAC and put levy, because they actually want to achieve that their 35 percent because the WTO said 20 percent benchmark but on your own looking at what is on ground in the country you can now apply levy. That is why they brought it down to 15 percent levy. It is so high on the vehicle. Now you can see what is happening the VIN valuation benchmark stopped at 2013 that is where Nigeria’s limit stops for each vehicle. Now there is a window if you bring in year 2000 vehicles you pay a duty of 2013. If you bring in 1999 vehicle, you pay duty of 2013 vehicle, so you can imagine where you have a Corolla vehicle which before now was sold at N1m – N1.5m. Now you are paying duty of N1m alone on the vehicle because you must pay duty of 2013. There is no room for these vehicles.
“So our plea is let government increase expiration year of vehicle to 25 years because the economy is so hard. If you remove that 15 percent levy, the VIN valuation is a welcome idea. There is no two ways about it but the only issue concerning VIN valuation is the levy. If the levy goes off, the VIN valuation is planned in such a way that the clearing of vehicle will be very seamless . You can do your work without interacting with a customs officer”.
By Francis Ugwoke
The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, has advised importers and their customs agents to be honest in their declarations to the Nigeria Customs Service to save themselves from the nightmare of extortion and embarrassment when clearing goods at the ports.
Ezisi said this was the only way to have safe transactions and be free from some unscrupulous customs officers and other security agents at the nation’s ports.
In a chat with SHIPPING DAY, he said, honest declaration saves importers from all forms of embarrassment and delay in clearing goods.
He disclosed that his association will carry out sensitization programme for members on honest declaration after its election.
He sensitization programme will come shortly after swearing in of the newly elected chapter officers, he said.
The NAGAFF President said his association has been having good relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), but added that the only issue was on the cost of clearing at the ports.
He called on the government to consider increasing the expiration year of vehicles that can be imported to 25 years because of the harsh economic situation.
He said, “For the customs, so far so good, except the 15 percent levy on vehicles. Before when we agitated they said 15 percent NAC, when we protested they removed the NAC and put levy, because they actually want to achieve that their 35 percent because the WTO said 20 percent benchmark but on your own looking at what is on ground in the country you can now apply levy. That is why they brought it down to 15 percent levy. It is so high on the vehicle. Now you can see what is happening the VIN valuation benchmark stopped at 2013 that is where Nigeria’s limit stops for each vehicle. Now there is a window if you bring in year 2000 vehicles you pay a duty of 2013. If you bring in 1999 vehicle, you pay duty of 2013 vehicle, so you can imagine where you have a Corolla vehicle which before now was sold at N1m – N1.5m. Now you are paying duty of N1m alone on the vehicle because you must pay duty of 2013. There is no room for these vehicles.
“So our plea is let government increase expiration year of vehicle to 25 years because the economy is so hard. If you remove that 15 percent levy, the VIN valuation is a welcome idea. There is no two ways about it but the only issue concerning VIN valuation is the levy. If the levy goes off, the VIN valuation is planned in such a way that the clearing of vehicle will be very seamless . You can do your work without interacting with a customs officer”.
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