*Importers To Pay N1b Storage, Demurrage Charges
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Despite the ongoing protest at the nation’s seaports on the implementation of the controversial Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy introduced by the government on imported vehicles, the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said at the weekend that policy has not been suspended.
The policy has been causing a crisis between licensed clearing agents and the Service, which led to the shutdown of port activities in the past three weeks.
NSC spokesman, Mr. Timi Bomadi, during a TV appearance, said the manual system would be deployed as an alternative.
He said: “The policy was not suspended. I read in the news that somebody said it was. But it has not been suspended. What the management intends to do is that we are looking at options.
“We have listened to the complaints of the stakeholders; we are assessing our system to see if there are things that can be amended to accommodate some of the complaints of these stakeholders.
“But what we would be doing in the next 30 days is to run the automated system side by side the manual system to aid decongestion of the ports.
“First of all, we were not the one that called for the strike. The agents called for the strike and it is in contravention of dispute resolution principle.”
Speaking from London, Vice-President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto, said the suspension of VIN valuation would enable importers whose vehicles had been trapped to clear them.
“We are not against VIN valuation policy. But we are against the outrageous value. We have asked them to consider accidented vehicles and mileage of vehicles imported, as stated in the Customs law. Therefore, we are still waiting to see what they will come out with.”
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