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By Steve Agbota, Lagos
Importers and traders under the aegis of Ndigboamaka Progressive (Market) Association and Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) have called for immediate suspension of the controversial Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Valuation system introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for imported vehicles.
In a joint press briefing in Lagos, the associations decried over 12,000 imported vehicles that are currently trapped at terminals in the ports accumulating over N600 million as losses, even as they are threatening to shut down all markets in Lagos state over VIN policy.
However, Chairman of SALS Rev Jonathan Nicol said that the VIN regime must be discarded and be suspended immediately, they (Customs) must make sure that all the trapped vehicles are given accelerated clearance from the ports without major demurrages because importers did not create the challenge.
‘These 12000 vehicles attract daily demurrages and shipping line charges and that is quite enormous and by the time you quantify how much importers are paying for demurrages, it is amounting to over N600 million. We cannot continue to accommodate such expenses anymore
‘Never in the history has the Nigerian Customs Service made over N1 trillion as Customs duty and now they are making N2 trillion. Is that not enough for them? The VIN policy is pathetic and we think enough is enough,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the President of Ndigboamaka Progressive (Market) Association, Chief Dr Jude Ringo Okeke said the regime of the VIN should be suspended indefinitely until after-effects of COVID-19, which importers braced up to support the Government and kept the port open during the two months lockdown period.
‘The introduction of VIN was not to the knowledge of importers. Our agents have limited authority to commit us to decision making. We are not with them in this VIN regime. So, the Customs should serve the importers to our satisfaction at all times.
‘We want to be consulted in major decisions affecting our businesses. We shall not hesitate to shut down the markets if decisions like this involve the traders, importers and majorly the public without our input as critical stakeholders.
‘Our colleagues in the freight forwarding business have been having a bitter experience with the Customs and other Government agencies in the clearing of our consignments,’ he said.
According to him, the barrage of complaints has reached its pinnacles and importers; traders and freight forwarders can’t bear it any further. He said that importers bring in 60 per cent of goods into the country and employ over 10 million Nigerians and evolve them in training to enable have their own businesses.
‘How else can we support a Government? Most of our members are working with bank loans with high interests and Government policies are making it impossible for us to pay back the loans. We totally reject that! Together with SALS, we shall manage a fund set up by Government to cushion our financial pressure in the foreseeable future. Key players in the maritime sector will manage the funds.
‘No Government Agencies will interfere with it because of recorded failures. We will do our best to protect the Shippers Association Lagos State, the Freight Forwarders over 1500 of them working with us and join other Organised Private Sectors and importers to form the Federation of Shippers Organisation in Nigeria,’ he said.
