Customs
Customs beats retreat on VIN policy

—-grants 30- day reprieve for striking agents to clear abandoned vehicles at ports.
Eyewitness reporter
After sustained pressure by the determined freight forwarders, the Nigeria Customs Service has finally suspended the controversial Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy for 30 days.
The suspension was sequel to the long-drawn protests and strike action which culminated in the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Customs authority to gauge the mood of the irate customs brokers.
In the circular titled “Approval of Grace Period To Clear Backlog Of Vehicles’ dated March 7th, 2022 and signed on behalf of Comptroller General of Customs by H.K Gummi, the Assistant Comptroller General, the reprieve period takes effect from Tuesday, March, 8th, 2022.
According to the circular with reference number NCS/T&T/ACG/008/S.100/VOL 111 and issued on Monday, the service said it has approved one month window to enable the clearing agents to clear the backlog of vehicles held up in the port as a result of the strike action.
The circular reads, “Sequel to the recent Customs, stakeholders town hall meeting held in Lagos on the VIN-Valuation, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), having listened to public outcry, has graciously approved one month window to enable clearing the backlog of vehicles held up in the ports as a result of the strike action.”
The circular addressed to all the Area Controllers of customs, said,
“Meanwhile, you are requested to ensure the uniform application of rebates for all vehicles using the correct values for your assessments.
“The VIN-Valuation protocol is still in operation as reviews and updates are being captured in our system to reflect these adjustments.”
The circular further directed all the Area Controllers to monitor the transition period and ensure manual assessments are in compliance with extant laws of the hand.
“Area Controllers are expected to monitor this transition period and ensure manual assessments are in full compliance with extant laws.
” This grace period is for one month, beginning from Tuesday 8 Mar 22.
“You are to bring the contents of this circular to your Officers and the General public for their information and guidance, please,” the CGC declared.
With this reprieve, the beleaguered freight forwarders are expected to end their strike action which entered the third week this week, and commence taking delivery of the abandoned vehicles estimated to be over 12, 000.
Alhaji Abdulaziz Babatunde, the Secretary-General of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) said the decision of the Customs on the vexed issue was expected and welcomed development.
“We are not against the VIN policy as an automation process of valuation but what we have been agitating against is the mode of implementation which appropriates internet-based values on vehicles.
“Under the now-suspended VIN, the valuation method does not factor in the current state of the vehicle such as savage, millage, and depreciation level of the vehicles so much so that the suspended policy treats accidented vehicles as new in valuation.
” The policy, as it was initially designed, does not give discounted value on vehicles based on their depreciation level but generates values on the internet.
” That was our grouse” the ANLCA Chief Scribe explained.
He urged the Customs to discountenance the use of Internet-generated value on vehicles by using the period of grace to redesign the policy that will give a discounted rate to vehicles based on their depreciation level.
Abdulaziz urged the Customs brokers who have Savage certificates to go and take delivery of their vehicles at a discounted rate, using the old manual valuation method.
He observed that the customs could still get their duties with the discounted valuation system.
”With this, it is going to be a win-win situation as both parties will now resolve their differences in an amicable way without any side suffering any collateral damage”, the ANLCA Chief declared.
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“I, however, know that the increment is backed by the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. The increment is in the Act. That is where they brought it from” Emenike declared.
“The increment started today. NECOM will be meeting very soon to take a stance on the new development.”, the ANLCA high Chief stated.
“All the freight forwarding associations would have to come together on this matter” Oduntan thundered .
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