The
Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, has approved a 60 per cent rebate for duties to
be paid for cars smuggled into the country from 2015, even as it increased the
number of payment points to enable auto dealers and private car owners pay
duties on the vehicles
A
statement signed by Acting Public Relations Officer, Assistant Controller of
Customs, Joseph Attah, said: “In response to public complains and suggestions,
the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd) has approved
the adjustment of points of payment and 60% rebate across board from 2015
downward to ease the process and encourage all motor dealers in position of
un-customed vehicles to come forward and pay duty.
“While
the grace period remains Monday, March 13 to Wednesday April 12, the points of
payments, with the exception of Lagos and Port Harcourt, will now be the
nearest Customs Area Command. “Motor dealers in Lagos are to pay their duties
at Zone ‘A’ Headquarters, No. 1 Harvey Road, Yaba and Federal Operations Unit,
Zone ‘A’, Ikeja. While in Port Harcourt, auto duty payment will be at Zone ‘C’
Headquarters, Nigeria Ports Authority.” “In the same vein, private vehicle
owners who know that duty has not been paid on their vehicles could take
advantage of this grace period to do so.
Therefore,
owners of such vehicles or their representatives are expected to go to the
nearest pay-point for assessment and payment. “It should, however, be noted
that the 60% rebate applies only within the grace period. For the avoidance of
doubt, the decision to grant a grace period for auto duty payment was not a
sudden and arbitrary one, but a product of consultations and long standing
engagement with the leadership of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria,
AMDON, who pleaded for a ‘window’ to pay duty on all un-customed vehicles
within the country before the ban on vehicle importation through the land
borders.
Source:Vanguard
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