Relief as NASS orders Customs to suspend planned seizure of vehicles without paid duty
The senate, Tuesday passed a resolution mandating the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to suspend its policy on seizing vehicles on which duty has not been paid, saying it is retrogressive and indicate dereliction of duties on the side of the Service.
Besides, some members of the National Assembly say the policy will take Nigeria back to the ages as it has not been in our rule for car owners to be driving around with that particular document which had been the property of the importer and not the end buyer.
Customs had given owners of such vehicles a deadline of April 12 for payment, threatening to prosecute those who do not comply with its directive.
The Customs announcement said in parts: “The comptroller-general of customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) has approved a grace period of one month, between Monday 13th March to Wednesday 12th April 2017 for owners of all vehicles within the country whose customs duty has not been paid to do so.
“The CGC therefore calls on all persons in possession of such vehicles to take advantage of the grace period to pay appropriate duties on them, as there will be an aggressive anti-smuggling operation to seize as well as prosecute owners of such smuggled vehicles after the deadline of Wednesday 12th April, 2017.”
The Senate overruling stemmed from a motion moved by Bala Na’Allah, deputy senate leader, who urged the upper legislative chamber to look into to the planned action, saying it has no basis in our law books.
In his address he prayed the senate to direct customs to “stop all actions” until it appeared before its committee on customs to give a clear explanations on why the policy after all.
The senate then directed the service to suspend its planned action.
In his anger-laden argument, vociferous Senator Dino Melaye, made it clear that it was impossible to import and to clear a vehicle without the “knowledge and collaboration” of customs officer.
According to him, “We should not pay for the incompetence of the Nigeria customs,” he said.
