Following the Federal Government’s ban on land importation of vehicles, a clearing and a forwarding agent in Port Harcourt, has appealed to the government to extend the policy in the interest of the local clearing agents.
Speaking to The Tide in Port Harcourt last Friday, the Managing Director of Goddy Cars Link Nigeria Limited, Chief Bekwele Wajikwu, said that the policy had negatively affected car dealers’ importation through the borders.
Bekwele said that the government’s policy had rendered over 10,000 cars imported into the country through the land borders hanging at the various land borders with in the country, adding that the Federal Government needs to take a review of such policy and extend the importation ban.
He said that the car dealers business activities promote the growth of the local economy and entrepreneurship, stressing that the government needed to formulate policy that will encourage their business and protect cars importation through the strict adherence to laid down rules and regulations.
He said that the implementation of such government policy was gradually forcing car dealers out of business in the country as compared to the importation of cars through the sea.
He stressed that importation of cars through land borders was more advantageous in nature than importation through sea, adding that car importation through land borders give customers more confidence and accessibility to the imported cars.
Bekwele said that members of the association of cars dealers would soon meet with the Minister of Industry and Commerce and Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on the appropriateness of resolving issues surrounding cars handing at the nation’s land borders.
He said that members of the association would always support government’s policy that will promote economy growth o the nation.

Philip Okparaji