Vehicles imported into Nigeria will be permitted by year of manufacture.
This is according to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which says it aims at addressing the issue of bringing in scraps and dead cars into the country.
The agency said when the review is done, old vehicles will no longer be allowed into the country.
Speaking at a budget defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on Customs on Tuesday, Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), lamented that most of the vehicles imported into the country were rickety.
He observed that “Most of the vehicles imported into this country are rickety vehicles.
“We are working on a policy which will reduce the number of years. Most of the trucks that collapse on the roads are rickety vehicles and they go for 200 meters and die.
“Honestly, I think we should look at this and reduce the number of years of cars being imported into the country.
‘We need roadworthy vehicles. It is our hope that our own industries begin to produce cars that will be affordable.”
Speaking on fast-tracking the process of clearing goods at the ports, the CGC said the service was installing scanners, which were purchased by the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), assuring that once they are installed, the delays encountered in the clearing of good will be addressed.
He told the lawmakers that: “The Ministry of Finance has bought three scanners based on emergency purchase and by May they will land here.
“Also, CBN has secured four scanners to be deployed. Once this is done, it will remove completely the issue of contact; secondly, it will fast track the process,” Ali disclosed.
On the issue of security, Ali said “The issue of security does not fall on the shoulders of one agency.The issue of security can be best tackled by all of us. It is a joint effort.”
Members of the committee had earlier expressed concern with the deteriorating insecurity in the country, which they blamed on the proliferation of arms and ammunition.
Most of the lawmakers blamed the Customs for failing to stop smugglers from smuggling dangerous weapons into the country through the borders.
