Customs Headquater Raises Alarm Over Serial Infractions in Duty Payment on Tokunbo Vehicles
Customs Comptroller General, Wale Adeniyi
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Management of the Nigeria Customs Service has raised an alarm of serial infractions by importers clearing agents in the payment of duty on imported used vehicles also know as Tokunbo vehicles.
According to a Memorandum emanating from the office of the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Tariff and Trade, ACG Musa MBA dated 17th July 2023, a copy of which was sited by our correspondent, some of the clearing agents were discovered to have been shortchanging the Federal Government.
The memo is titled ‘Value Cut on Extended Procedure Code 846’
According to the Customs “A new trend of infraction has been discovered where the value approved on the assessment slip for the extended procedure code 846 is not completely utilized.
“The CAC should take immediate action to stop the infractions and also liase with the DC Revenue, DC Valuation and DC PCA and ensure recovery of lost revenue.
“Attached in Annex A is the list of some C numbers with such infractions. Other C numbers will be forwarded in due course as the profiling is a continous process. Ensure strict compliance, please” it reads
Recall that the service at PTML Command and Tin Can Island Command had introduced an electronic platform; www.846.nigeriatradehub.gov.n
This platform is to be used to clear Tokunbo vehicles (old imported vehicles) which were not captured under the VIN valuation (Non-standard VIN) platform of the service.
DAILY TREND reports that there are vehicles which are not captured under the VIN valuation platform of Customs, these are often referred to as Non-standard VIN. Such vehicles are required to make use of a special code called 846.
Prior to introduction of the automated platform for 846 vehicles, clearing agents were mandated to write an application to the Customs Area Controllers of the command where the car is being cleared in order to get actual value to pay.
Stakeholders believed that the Non-standard VIN or 846 gives room for human interface and corruption, a development which the VIN Valuation Platform was created to solve in the first place.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Tin Can Chapter of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Barr Michael Ovien has advised members affected by such shortfall in value payments to brace up to face the wrath of the law.
In a circulated message on Monday, he said “If you know you have settled customs to reduce duty for your consignment, be ready to pay the remaining value because customs are ready to recover all the losses.
“Any compromised 846 duty will be recovered. Start informing your importers”
Nigerian custom is the most corrupt government agency. They deliberately created the 846 payment system into other to strengthen corruption in the system. I have always wondered why it is difficult for the VIN system which has no human interface to capture all vehicles. Tinubu must not relent to ensure they have no business with duty payment any further. If this happens, it will shock the federal government the amount of revenue lost with the Nigerian custom service in charge of duty payment. They will recover all compromise duty payment under 848. And what next for their oga’s involved in the theft? Promotion to a higher office. I do not know what PBAT is still waiting to win them off custom duty payment and hand over to FIRS.
Did you think customs will sit down and watch Federal government taking away they jobs and handover to FIRS. That will open another way of corruption into the system.
They will not look at the Vin valuation which is in the system and custom still extort money from agent that we paid shortpayment.
God will help us to fix the country. Amen
Now that custom can discover this I Hope they’re aware of what is happening in SA office in PTML COMMAND where if you assess VIN VALUE job above 2016 he will hold you random Extorting you to bring the sum of 500,000 or 100,000,000 before he can release your job for Releasing who is going to Pay that for us ?
why is that after using the system vin value to access,the customs still hold the work as shortpayment which it systemthat value,for example toyota rav4 2022,that is on vin value if we access with the value giving the ptml comtroller will still collect money that we short pay.please is not (846)non-standard so ptml custom should stop it bcos that is not how they do in other terminal.
If clearing agents will do the right thing , there will be less room for bribery.
Agents are the whole problem, they collect huge amount from importers and try to short change government and just can’t expect the customs officers to let them have a field day.