The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on the 20th of this month introduced a new policy that would henceforth guide importation of vehicles to stem revenue leakages and enhance the ability of the service to meet its targets, among other safety and security measures. Under the new policy, all shipping companies must put the Chassis number and year of manufacturing of all imported vehicles on their manifest to be submitted to Customs for proper declaration. Also according to the Customs, the measure has become necessary to block revenue leakages and meet the 800 billion naira target given to it by the federal government this year, which was conveniently increased by the Comptroller General, Abdullahi Dikko Nde to one trillion naira.
Indeed, this policy is both necessary and timely, because Nigeria has over the years become a dumping ground for used cars also known as Tokumbo cars. These are cars that have been used and rejected by European countries because of their lack of road worthiness, but are conveniently imported into Nigeria for use. Usually, these vehicles get worn out within two or three years of importation into the country, hence the high rate of accidents on our roads, due to bad tires, bad engines among others.
However, this trend could be said to have become a child of necessity, because an average income-earning Nigerian could only afford the Tokumbo cars, since they cannot afford a new car. This is the simple reason why the demand for such used cars continue to grow and statistically the frequency of tragic road accidents has also increased in almost the same proportion. It is also alleged that criminals use these imported vehicles, that have no any registration to perpetrate their acts without being traced.
Those involved in the lucrative business of importing used cars into the country are usually aided by some corrupt customs officers, thereby depriving the country of the prescribed dues, charged for importation. These acts of violating the country’s Customs regulations occur almost every day along Nigeria’s boarders with Benin Republic, Niger and Togo where the importers go to buy the used cars dumped by European countries, thereby causing the country huge economic loss.
It is noteworthy that, with the coming into office of the present Comptroller General of Customs, so much has changed in the Nigeria Customs. The revenue generation has increased tremendously. According to a gazette produced by the agency, last year it has generated 800 billion naira and also assured that the trillion naira revenue target set for the service is indeed achievable.
It is hoped that, apart from enhancing the nation’s revenue generation, the new policy will also help to reduce the number of Tokumbo vehicles imported into the country, as well as ensure the fitness and worthiness of the imported vehicles to our roads, so that by extension the rate of road accidents as a result of the deplorable nature of such vehicles and their spare parts could be reduced. It is also anticipated that with the new policy, which would ensure proper registration of the vehicles, the rate at which criminals use such unregistered vehicles to perpetrate their acts without being traced would reduce.
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