Customs, clearing agents meeting on the implementation of VIN fails to resolve the nagging issues raised by the agents
By Uzor Odigbo
A stakeholders meeting called by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Tuesday, in Lagos to find a lasting solution to the ongoing industrial action by clearing agents against the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) introduced by the Customs on imported vehicles was deadlocked.
The senior Customs officials sent to mid-wife the truce meeting could not persuade the clearing agents to call off the ongoing strike at the ports.
This is even as the Customs officers promised to get back to the agents very soon.
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Addressing the media after the meeting, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Zone A, Modupe Aremu, explained that the Customs was going to modify the complaints of the clearing agents to arrive at a conclusive arrangement for the VIN.
According to ACG Aremu, “We are going to modify their complaints going forward.
“The modification will take care of the complaints of the clearing agents as regards VIN.”
When asked if she was satisfied with the meeting with the clearing agents, the Customs ACG explained that it was like a family meeting and will be encouraged going forward.
“We talked and rubbed minds on a solution to this ongoing strike at the ports.
“The clearing agents were actually trained ahead of the implementation of the VIN valuation. That was why we were not expecting this kind of response from them when we began the VIN implementation.
“Due to all the complaints that the agents gave today, we are going to go back to the drawing board to modify all the issues that they raised. Hopefully, very soon we will get back to them on the outcome of the modification. VIN has come to stay, it cannot be suspended.”
Also addressing the media after the meeting, the Deputy President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Segun Musa, insisted that until Customs gets back to clearing agents, the strike action at the ports will continue.
In the words of the NAGAFF Deputy President, “The Customs has given us a time frame of Friday to get back to us. So, we will wait till Friday to hear from them. Until then, the strike continues.
“They (Customs) said tomorrow is their management meeting and that they will get us feedback on what they decide by Friday. So, till then we continue the strike.
“If after Friday, their feedback does not meet our expectations, then we will continue the strike even after Friday.”
Also addressing the media, a foremost clearing agent, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, said the issue of VIN valuation is a simple matter, saying that clearing agents have been on the issue of VIN valuation for over two to five years.
“Let me quickly correct one impression, all freight forwarders in this country are not against VIN valuation. What we are trying to say is that the normal thing for valuation should be done.
“What are we saying? For instance, what is VIN valuation? This is to make sure that your chassis numbers of the vehicle are captured to tell the government through the Customs how much to pay.
“But our argument now remains that a 15 years old vehicle, for instance, has a N2m worth of value, cost, insurance and freight. Under the normal settings internationally, there is depreciation of vehicles on a yearly basis.
“What you sell is not what I sell. For instance, you cannot use the Customs value for vehicles or any consignments coming into the country.
“We are pleading with them (Customs) to go back to the management. Let them give us the period of 90 days to clear the backlog, of trapped vehicles,” Prince Oyeniyi stated.
Recall that clearing agents had last week Monday began a protest against the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Valuation system introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for imported vehicles, labelling the policy fraudulent and refusing to clear vehicle imports that arrived in the country since last week Monday.
