The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has flawed the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS’) rate of duty on used vehicles with HS code 87033320 with 20 percent despite the Service’s claim that the rate is imputed in error.
The association’s National Vice President, Dr. Kayode Farinto, in a statement, advised all freight forwarders not to capture their vehicles with 35% rate of duty.
He said: “Far from it. The true position is that the rate of duty on used vehicles with HS code 87033320 is now 20%. Hence, we advise all freight forwarders not to capture with 35% again.
“Secondly, even the HS code of Fully Built vehicles that agents used last week (ie HS 87033319) has been changed on the system to 20% this morning.
“It is obvious that the NCS has flouted the WCO directives to always inform the stakeholders and carry them along on issues of operations basically because she wants to meet her self-imposed targets by pretending not to know that the trading community deserves to be informed of any changes on it.
“We have advised and urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, the supervisory Ministry of NCS to always put the freight forwarding associations on notice on changes as regards operational matter and policy issues since the present management team has failed in her responsibility to do so.
“The trading community has the legitimate rights to know of such changes. We thank you for your patient, while we await them (NCS) to issue a formal circular in this regards”, the ANCLA boss added.
However, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs and the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Timi Bomodi, claimed the 20 percent duty rate was “just a mix-up”, adding that the 35 per cent duty stands.
