The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised the alarm that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) of government are in the habit of evading taxes on imported vehicles and other equipment.
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This is even as the NCS affirmed that only the office of the President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation is exempted from paying taxes on imported items.
According to a statement signed on Friday by the Deputy National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Timi Bomodi, the Service stated that except where waivers and, or concessions were sought and granted by any MDA, all outstanding duties and taxes relating to such imports are expected to be paid in full.
“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a trend noticed in the activities of certain Ministries, Departments and Agencies with regards to their import of vehicles and other equipment.
“The NCS wishes to state that except where waivers and, or concessions were sought and granted, all outstanding duties and taxes relating to such imports are expected to be paid in full. This applies even in situations where these imports were executed by agents or proxies on their behalf.
“We wish to reiterate that by law, only items imported by the President, Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is exempted from the payment of duty or taxes.
“The NCS is therefore by this notice sensitising MDAs, and advising them on the need to adhere strictly with import guidelines in this regard.
Contractors who import and supply such equipment or vehicles without payment of duties should also be aware that they will be considered liable as fraudulent importers in such circumstances. We urge them to avail themselves of our trade facilitation tools available on and offline.
“This is necessary to avoid embarrassments in future,” the NCS stated in the statement.
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