AUTO POLICY: Customs, FRSC Collaborate To Checkmate Registration Of Smuggled Vehicles

Ahead of the full implementation of the new automotive policy, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has commenced moves to collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) with a view to checkmating the registration of smuggled vehicles.

There have been fears by stakeholders that, the 70 per cent duty and levy on imported vehicles may make smuggling attractive to importers, but  the Public Relation of the Nigeria Customs Service; Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, a Deputy Controller, said that the partnership with the FRSC  has reached an advance stage, adding that the aim was to eliminate the smuggling of vehicles into the country.

Adeniyi who disclosed  this  on Tuesday at a training programme organised for maritime journalists  by the Apapa Customs  command, said that its partnering with the commission is part of the global network initiative with other stakeholders to discourage smuggling of vehicles into Nigeria.

Explaining how the system will work he disclosed that once a smuggled vehicle gets to the FRSC’s office for registration,  it will trigger-off the commission’s alarm, an indication that the vehicle did not pass through Customs clearing process at approved entry points.

According to Adeniyi, there is inter-connectivity between the Customs service and Road Safety Commission with a view to reducing or eliminating the issue of smuggling of vehicles

He said “An on-line platform is being developed to ensure that smuggled vehicles are not registered in the country. Once duty is paid on any vehicle, it will sail through the registration process, but the system will trigger off itself if that vehicle did not pass through Customs clearing process.

“This is part of the Customs collaborative effort in bringing about orderliness in the system so as to grow the economy”.

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