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Tuesday 29 April 2014

Nigeria And It's Neighbouring Countries In New 5 Nations Vehicle Shipment Scheme

Comptroller-General-Nigeria-Customs-Service-Alhaji-Abdullahi-Dikko
Vehicle shipment and transit between Nigeria and neighbouring countries is being simplified as the Nigeria Customs Service has commenced a scheme to ease international automobile purchases.
The pilot of the scheme, which involves nations like Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic, according to the Customs Area Controller of the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Willy Egbudin, is the fall out of a March 26, 2014 meeting of Directors General of Customs of the five proximate countries held in Abuja, and in line with the Transit Code.
“It will see all Nigerian bound vehicles imported from the affected countries being handed over to the Nigerian Customs by the country’s customs administration after due clearance. It has features of accountability, transparency and easy personal evaluation and monitoring and will have names of officers responsible for transfers and receipts of manifests/vehicles from both countries. It will also indicate location of formal handing and taking over of imported vehicles on transit.
At the flag off of the scheme at the weekend, Egbudin applauded the untiring efforts of the Comptroller General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, for his vision and high level professionalism in bringing the scheme to fruition.
Over 120 cars were handed over at the flag off ceremony. The vehicles are to be parked at a designated location already prepared by the Nigeria Customs.
According to Egbudin, regional security, facilitation of genuine trade and improving on the existing synergies between Nigeria Customs and other Customs’ administrations sharing common borders with the country would be enhanced under the new regime. He added that it would lead to an interstate effort in the fight against smuggling and boost the revenue being generated from vehicle importation into Nigeria.
The flag off ceremony, which was conducted by the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Ambassador Lawrence Olufemi Obisakin and witnessed by officials of government agencies of Nigeria and Benin as well as stakeholders, was ushered in with fanfare.
Obisakin told a gathering of stakeholders at the border that the feat was also being achieved because of the fraternal tie between President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and his Beninoise counterpart, Yayi Boni.
Obisakin added that the event is not just special but also a great milestone for both countries’ governments, businessmen and citizenry.
He said the importance of such an epoch making event cannot be over-emphasised as history, according to him, was being made.
“The official handover of imported vehicles by the Benin Customs Service to their Nigerian counterpart represents the palpable results of several years of bilateral relations.
“For this, we have to thank God for the friendly and fraternal relations existing between President Jonathan and his Benin counterpart, President Yayi as well as the diplomatic and customs services of both countries,” Obisakin said.
Responding to questions from newsmen, the ambassador said that Seme border is strategic for many reasons including being sited between two commercial capital cities of Cotonou and Lagos, which makes it the busiest land border in the West African sub-region.

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