AUTO POLICY: Clearing Agents Says No To Newly Increased 35% Tariff

Licenced customs clearing agents and freight forwarders operating at the Port and Terminal Multi Services Limited (PTML) on Wednesday withdrew their services over what they called sudden and unexpected implementation of the new tariff on imported vehicles by the PTML command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Subsequently, the federal government through the customs management directed that implementation should be shifted to commence July 1, this year.

It was learnt that implementation of the policy was carried out only at the PTML command. An executive of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Ugochukwu Nnadi, confirmed the development to journalists, saying that agents were surprised by the development.

He said agents operating at the terminal have withdrawn their services “and there is no going back until the 35 per cent duty rate is reverted.”

He said the area comptroller of the command, Tunji Aremu, who met with the agents the previous day had said the directive to commence the implementation of the new vehicle tariff came from the customs headquarters in Abuja.

He said, “In fact, we had told the comptroller to tell them at Abuja that we will not accept that but he said he does not have the power to do that and I see reason in his argument. The only thing he will tell the customs management in Abuja  is that we have withdrawn our services because of the implementation of the new rate and as long as they refuse to revert to the old rate, we will continue with the strike,” he said.

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