The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has refuted a recent media report, alleging its connivance with customs licensed agents to thwart the Nigerian auto policy, stating that not all over-aged vehicles are prohibited from coming into the country.
Shipping Position Daily recently reported how the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and customs licensed agents allegedly connive to circumvent the auto policy guidelines of the Federal Government on importation of over-aged vehicles into the country, the Nigeria Customs Service has offered some explanations.
Reacting to the story, the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Tin Can port command; Mr. Uche Ejieseme told the publication that bringing in over-aged vehicles for personal use is not prohibited, adding that what is prohibited is importing such vehicles for commercial purposes.
“According to schedules 3 and 4 of the Common External Tariff,” he explained, “it is not prohibited when you bring in an overage vehicle for personal use.
“I think it is important to draw your attention to schedules 3 and 4 of the Common External Tariff (CET), if you go to schedule 3, it is talking about the first import prohibition list (Trade) and if you go to schedule 4, you will see absolute prohibition other than trade
“What this simply means is that, for instance, if you say import prohibition trade, it means you cannot import such items in a commercial quantity, which will give the impression that you are coming to sell at merchandise.
“So in this instance, if somebody brings in an over-aged vehicle in this parlance, it doesn’t qualify to be contraband, because you are not bringing it for trade purpose”.
Explaining further, he said, “You can decide to go and bring in a vehicle of any age for your personal use by the provision of import prohibition list III, you are free to bring it in, in as much you have not brought it for commercial purposes to sell, but it is when you now bring it in 10 to 20 units, it has now contravened schedule III of the Common External Tariff.
“Occasionally when we see one or two, we assume they are bringing it in for personal use and not for trade and that’s what schedule III of the guidelines is talking about. I doubt if any system can allow bringing in a volume of overage vehicles. So, bringing in one or two has not contravened the Common External Tariff which is our guiding book”, he said.
(with Reports from SHIPPING POSITION DAILY)
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