Customs holds sensitisation on motor vehicle duty in Sokoto – Blueprint Newspapers Limited
Nigerian Customs Service , Sokoto, Zamfara Area Command Tuesday organised a sensitisation programmes for Motor Vehicle Dealers Association (AMDON) in Sokoto state on the regularisation and implications of vehicle moving around without genuine custom duty.
This was contained in a press release issued and made available to newsmen in Sokoto by the command’s Public Relations Officer Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Tsafe Abubakar .
According to the statement, the sensitisation was part of effort to give wide publicity to the 90 days window period for the regularization of import duties on Specific categories of vehicles.
Declaring the workshop open, the Area Comptroller, Alhaji Kamal Mohammad, elucidated the momentous role the association play in the importation and sales of vehicles in the country.
Alhaji Kamal stated that the choice of AMDON members as participants in the work is in consideration of the critical role they play in the vehicle business.
He said that the 90 days window period which commenced on the 4th of March 2024 to 5th of July 2024 is the service effort under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR to enhance compliance.
The participants were sensitized on the two categories of vehicle covered by the window period which include vehicles imported into Nigeria where the requisite Customs Duty has not been fulfilled or vehicles detained due to undervaluation excluding vehicles seized and condemned.
He explained that participants and any other Nigerian who intend to regularize import duties on their vehicles are to apply through a Customs licensed Agent to any of the Zonal Coordinators (A,B,C,D) with the necessary papers.
Speaking during the program, the chairman if the association, Alhaji Mansur Zagi commended the Nigerian Customs Services, Sokoto Zanfara Area Command for the workshop and assured that its members will seize the opportunity granted to them by the Service
Alhaji Zagi used the occasion to plead with the Federal Government to extend the magnanimity by lifting the restriction of importation of vehicle through land borders .
According to him , the closure has caused untold hardship and loss of means of livelihood to hundreds working in the vehicle importation chain thereby contributing to the insecurity in the Northwest.
The Chairman added that the association was convinced that lifting on the restriction will bring ease of doing business and encourage compliance thereby discouraging smuggling.
Responding to the request, the Area Comptroller noted that the restriction of vehicle importation through land borders is a government fiscal policy, but promised to take their request to the national headquarters.
