The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it is set to commence the operation of Bonded Vehicle Terminals in the country, stressing that the players have to secure a bank bond of N50 million for eligibility and operation of a terminal.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the Acting Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah said that the essence of the fund is to ensure that government revenue is secured.

He said that any interested person has to apply through the Customs Area Command. Attah noted that: “So essentially that is, and then there is a bond, we call it bonded vehicle terminal, you will have to approach a bank and enter into a bond to the tune of N50 million.” He (terminal owner) has to secure a bank bond of N50million. You know I told you we move these vehicles without duty. So, these is just to make sure that government revenue is secured, so you won’t even play pranks.”

He stressed that the service is now ready to start the operation as he said that “As I have said, today custom is ready for this. And any interested person needs to start by writing application through the area controller. That is, through the area controller of the command where he wants to locate or site his bonded terminal.”

The spokesman recalled that when the policy banning the importation of cars through the land borders came into effect on the 1st January 2017, Nigerians complained that most of the dealers would lose their jobs.

Attah however submitted that “Little did they know that the Nigerian Customs Service studied situations that attracted some of our business men and women to our neighbouring ports and also why car dealers in Nigeria patronize car parks in other neighbouring countries are designed to rather strengthen the businesses of these car dealers. We had meetings then around ending January and the service promised to work out the modality to start issuing motor dealers or indeed any interested person licenses for the operation of bonded vehicle terminals in Nigeria.”

According to him, prior to the introduction of the bonded vehicle terminal, the there were container terminals.

He however explained that now whoever wants to operate a bonded vehicle terminal need to have an expanse of land that is wide enough to accommodate many vehicles in a fenced environment.

He said that owning a terminal means that the operator can import vehicles from any part of the world and stating from the beginning as vehicles destined to ‘AB&C bonded terminal in Abuja’, Kano or wherever it maybe, right from the beginning it is manifested like that.

Continuing he said that “On arrival at the sea port, without the pressure of him going to look for money or go and take loan to pay customs duty, customs officers will escort this vehicles to his bonded vehicle terminals, without payment of duty. And those vehicle will stay there for at least 28-30days without even payment of duty. Custom will also establish a small custom outpost within each of these terminals.

“Within these first 28-30 days, if a customer comes there to buy a vehicle, he simply buys the vehicle, walks into the customs outpost within that terminal, pays his duty and drive her vehicle confidently home, without the fear of running into any customs checkpoint or being asked to present the pass and all that.

“Eventually, it is our hope that when this thing is established, when this thing becomes the normal practice in Nigeria, gone will be the days when somebody will be driving a vehicle and be fearing to meet a customs checkpoint.

“Apart from this there are other multiplier effects, positively. Wherever there these bonded vehicle terminals commercial banks will begin to open branches there, because there is going to be volumes of commercial transactions, that is job opportunity.

“Where ever there is this bonded vehicle terminal spare part dealers will open their shops around that place, because they know when you buy these vehicles there might be one two things to change, that is job opportunity.

“In these vehicle terminals, food vendors will open restaurants and all that there. Even young people, some boys and girls who are strong
enough to come and Wash these cars every day to get some money from the operators of these terminals.”

http://linkis.com/thenationonlineng.net/VRsic

How I wish bitter lol tastes the same way it sounds. No be Nigeria we dey