Auto Policy: Associations Want 35% Excess Levy Refund

The two main associa
tions of freight agents in Nigeria namely Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders have threatened to  withdraw their services from the ports throughout the country. The threat they said would be enforced. If the government fails to refund the 35% excess levy collected on the auto policy.
Speaking to The Tide at Onne Port on Monday the president of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu said the Federal Government should refund the 35% excess levy on imported vehicles collected by the Nigeria customs service before the Federal Government suspend full implementation of the policy till January 2015.
Shittu said Nigeria customs service management has announced that the full implementation of the policy would start January 1, 2015 stressing that as a result of the customs service decision, the two Associations demands that the extra 35 per cent levy collected must be refunded to the importers.
The ANLCA and NAGAFF  Leadership said they applauded the Federal Government decision on the automotive policy, stressing that the suspension of the full implementation of the new auto policy on July 1, 2014 expressly implies a reversal to status quo, that is return to the 20 per cent duty.
However, The Tide was reliably informed that some importers abandoned their imported vehicles at the various ports due to the high tariff on such imported vehicles as announced by the federal govenrmet until the reversal of the policy.
All The Tide effort to speak with the Nigeria Customs Service Onne Area command or the Public Relations Officers proved abortive.
The Tide was told at the customs service area office by an officer who pleaded anonymity that the service has not received any directive to refund the excess levy collected to the importers.

Philip Okparaji