Port agents begin one-day strike Monday over levy on used vehicles

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) will proceed on a one-day warning strike on Monday to protest the introduction of a 15 percent National Automobile Commission (NAC) levy on used imported vehicles.

The Chairman of ANLCA, Rilwan Amuni, who disclosed this to journalists on Friday, said the clearing agents would march to the Customs Area Controller at the Tincan Island Port in Apapa, to force a reversal of the levy.

He said the levy was initially imposed on new vehicles and not used ones, adding that effort by stakeholders to ensure the reversal was abortive, hence the declaration of the strike.

Amuni stressed that if the one-day strike failed to produce the desired result, the agents would shut down all ports in the state to press home their demand.

The Nigeria Customs Service had recently introduced the 15 percent levy on all used vehicles imported into the country.

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Clearing agents and other operators in the country’s maritime sector have made several moves to force the Federal Government to reverse the policy.

He said: “We have consulted widely among critical stakeholders on the 15 percent NAC and illegal benchmarks on the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).

“It has been concluded that the 15 percent NAC is a fraud and an obnoxious policy.

“In view of this, in conjunction with other stakeholders there will be a one-day warning strike on April 25 by 10:00 a.m. prompt, starting from our ‘Holy Ground’ in front of Grimaldi.

“And we will move down to Customs Area Controller (CAC’S) of Port and Terminal Multi-services Ltd. (PTML) and Tincan enroute all other terminals in Tincan and Apapa.

“Please note that April 25 and 26 is just a ‘warning strike,’ agents are allowed to do their jobs and tidy up against Wednesday in lieu of whether there will be a reversal or not.”