The North-West Auto Dealers Association of Nigeria on Monday urged the Federal Government to prevail on the Nigeria Customs Service to register the over 200,000 vehicles imported into the country through the land borders in 2016.
Alhaji Muktari Mapia, Chairman of the Association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna that the vehicles were brought into the country before the ban on importation through the land borders.
NAN reports that the government banned the importation of vehicles through the land borders in December 2016.
He said that the Association had approached the customs service for the registration of the vehicles had ended in vain.
“The customs are preventing billions of naira to the Federal Government due to the non-chalant attitude of the service to register our vehicles.’’
He called for government’s intervention, to enable the association to contribute its quota to the revenue generation of the country.
Mapia explained that all vehicles displayed for sale were imported through the land borders before the prohibition of their importation.
“We approached the Nigeria Customs Service to clear our vehicles but they denied us,” he claimed.
The association’s chairman expressed dismay at the Nigeria Customs Service seizure of vehicles at various sales points.
Mapia said the clearing agents were denied the chance to pay the necessary duties on such vehicles displayed.
He observed that the government was losing a lot of revenue, as a result of the ban, saying the policy should be reviewed.
A top customs official confirmed to NAN on condition of anonymity that such challenge was existing with the clearing agents.
“I am preparing a memo to the service for deliberation, because these vehicles were actually imported before the ban.
“There is need for the service to register the vehicles to get additional revenue for the customs service,’’ the official said.
( NAN)
AAG/FLP/IA