Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd)
By James Abang
Recently Nigeria Customs issued a directive to vehicle owners to "pay
their custom duties or risk having their vehicles impounded".
But
99% of vehicle owners are not importers. They have no idea what duties
on vehicles are. They purchased their vehicles from dealers believing
that all associated charges including duties, taxation and VAT have been
considered in the purchase price. Read more after the cut......
Some years down the line Customs wakes
up to tell the vehicle owner (who is a mere final consumer who may have
bought his vehicle many years ago) to go and pay duties aside the
purchase price he earlier paid. Reason being that they want to raise
revenue for government.
Nothing can be more stupid. This is not just an
abuse of power and process but an insult on the citizens.
Supposed the car was imported Garri or sadine or rice which you bought 2 years ago from the shop, and has since consumed, you would be expected to vomit it and calculate the duties not paid at the port of landing and go to Nigeria Customs Office to pay.
Supposed the car was imported Garri or sadine or rice which you bought 2 years ago from the shop, and has since consumed, you would be expected to vomit it and calculate the duties not paid at the port of landing and go to Nigeria Customs Office to pay.
This writer appreciates NCS desire to generate revenue especially at a
time like this. But not at the expense of the already impoverished and
over stretched citizens.
Nigeria Customs should put structures and processes in place to collect its duties and charges from importers and not from consumers.
Nigeria Customs should put structures and processes in place to collect its duties and charges from importers and not from consumers.
I think it has become imperative for
President Buhari to review some of the appointments he made to key
institutions in the country. The idea of appointing a retired soldier to
head a strategic body like Nigeria
Customs (which required relivant
qualification and experience) has proven unjustifiable.
I think
Hameed Ali was a wrong choice for that position. A man who does not know
the difference between an importer and a consumer should not be
anywhere near customs uniform. He also needs a class on the topic,
"government is not about raising revenue at all cost, but it's about
serving people - even at all cost".
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