Fakoyejo Olalekan
Nigerian clearing agents has requested that the Nigerian government review its automotive policy, with the age limit for imported vehicles said to be one of the areas in need of change.
The acting national president of the clearing agent umbrella, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto, made this known on Tuesday, stating that the automotive policy only benefits few individuals.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe said the age limit of imported vehicles, which is currently 12 years should be raised to 15 years. Farinto also urged the government to put an end to uncertainty surrounding the industry’s policy, as it affect business decisions.
According to Farinto, the trial and error of the government must be stopped, as he condemned the regular change of transportation minister. He explained that such action is making the sector stagnant.
What Nigerian clearing agents boss requested for
In the statement, the leader of ANLCA opined that, “The age limit on imported vehicles needs to be reviewed to at least 15 years from the current 12 years. The entire auto policy is a scam that has continued to enrich a few individual Nigerians at the detriment of our economy.”
He added, “With the introduction in the last 10 years or more, we are unable to produce ordinary radiator, meanwhile few people are smiling to the banks with our money under the guise of being local assemblers and manufacturers. It is high time we revised this policy.”
Part of Farinto’s statement further reads, “This trial and error of the government must be stopped forthwith, just when we thought there is eureka in the transportation ministry, the government decides to change the minister to bring a new person that will start learning and commence visitation in the next three months.
“We are stagnant and not really moving forward with these retrogressive steps every time and it is encouraging neocolonialism.
“The federal government in line with international best practices needs to reorganise and re-orientate the management of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) from the present moribund one.
“The present one has continually brought confusion to the trading community with her high-handedness, without control and checks to the extent that the federal ministry of finance has lost her supervisory role, hence the high level of non-professionalism of the service to the nation.”
