Customs seek 3 months waiver for owners of seized vehicles to pay duty

Maureen Aguta

As the Senate Committee on Customs expresses its plan to further raise the revenue target for the Nigeria Customs Service in June 2024, the Bashir Adeniyi-led management of Nigerian Customs Service has disclosed that it intends to grant a three month waiver to owners of seized vehicles to come forward and pay duties for the vehicles.

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Customs, Sen. Isah Jibrin had dropped the hint on the plan of the Senate during a meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service Adewale Adeniyi and his management team.

Senator Jibrin noted that there is the need for the revenue-generating agencies must up their game to improve the economy.

On the high unemployment rate, Senator Jibrin states that “Customs is not the only employer of labour. They can only employ the number they believed, they can adequately take care of and we are putting them under pressure to exceed the 16,000 benchmark”.

Responding to questions from the lawmakers, the CG, NCS, Adewale Adeniyi also disclosed that the Service is seeking approval from the government to allow them to give waivers to owners of smuggled cars to allow them regularize payment of their Customs duties.

He disclosed that those in possession of vehicles illegally imported into the country or are to pay duties have a three-month window to go to Customs House for assessment and payment of duties.

This he assures will be done after adequate publicity to ensure that those in such a situation can get their vehicles regularized through payment of duties.

The Customs has N5.05 trillion as target for 2024.