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The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali, retd, has said that importation of used vehicles through land border remains banned. He has therefore advised stakeholders to embrace the connectivity platform jointly being implemented with the Beninous government. t Ali made the disclosure during the inauguration of the connectivity platform established by the European Union at Seme Border to improve trade.
The event held on Thursday. According to him, customs is not opening land borders for importation of used vehicles but is interested in the success of the connectivity platform to facilitate border trade between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
The customs boss urged all stakeholders to embrace the platform to enable the two countries to achieve seamless operations and trade facilitation. He said that the platform would assist genuine traders, adding that smugglers would be fought. 30 per cent tax holiday: We have helped move smugglers to legitimate economic activities – Customs Boss(Opens in a new browser tab) “We are envisaging compliance, and we hope we get compliance; where individual decides not to comply, then the customs will ensure there is no illicit trafficking between the two countries. “At the initial stage, I do expect some challenges before our traders get used to the system; there is always an apprehension when it comes to ICT (Information and Communication Technology, people are not very comfortable.
“We have some series of sensitisation, we will continue to tell them the benefits of these technologies and what they stand to gain. 30 per cent tax holiday: We have helped move smugglers to legitimate economic activities – Customs boss(Opens in a new browser tab) “It is our hope that in no time, all of them will key in into the platform,” Ali said. He said that through this platform, false declaration of goods and some other illegal activities, experienced due to manual operation, would stop. Ali further said that the platform would open in Windows format, adding that it would increase the volume of trade and revenue between the two countries.
