President, National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has petitioned the Federal Government over the imposition of 15 percent Common External Tariff (CET) levy on imported vehicles by the Nigeria Customs Service, an action he described as illegal.
The NCS had last week changed the controversial 15 percent NAC levy on its system to 15 percent CET levy following threats by clearing agents to withdraw their services from the ports. Amiwero, in a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, said the 15 percent CET levy on motor vehicles is in contravention of the Finance Act of 2020 and other domestic law on import duties and levies. According to him, the only approval for levy for ‘motor vehicles of 8703 Cars is five percent by the National Assembly and signed in to law by the President.’ While calling for urgent intervention of the President on the matter, Amiwero said as a result of the confusion of the shift from NAC levy of 15% to CET levy of 15% without any backed legislation, many vehicles are now abandoned at the port, accumulating demurrage and rents, thereby creating serious bottleneck to revenue collection and impediment to trade.