Reps want FG to suspend ban on importation of vehicles through land borders

The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Federal Government to immediately suspend the ban on importation of vehicles through the land borders.

The House also urged the Federal Government to ensure that the law enforcement agencies at the borders ensured that import charges through the land borders are paid as at when due and remitted to the government.

The House equally urged the Federal Government to expand its plan on youth empowerment programmes by developing skills acquisition centres in border areas so as to enable the youths to acquire skills necessary for the type of businesses that are being carried out in the border areas.

The resolutions followed a motion moved by Hononurable  Abubakar Salame entitled, “Need to suspend the ban on importation of vehicles through the land borders.”

According to the lawmaker, the Nigerian Customs Service issued a statement on December 5 prohibiting the importation of new and used vehicles through the land borders with effect from January 1.

While kicking against the new policy, the lawmaker said that, the policy should be suspended because the government has not put in place alternative measures to ensure that Nigerians will have access to cars since it is cheaper to buy cars from neighbouring countries.

He added that some of those making the policies have failed to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods, especially Nigerian assembled vehicles which are, in any case unaffordable to over 80 percent of Nigerians who can only afford fairly used imported vehicles.

The proposed ban, he said, would cause more harm than good as it would certainly lead to increase in smuggling, deprive poor Nigerians of access to vehicles, skyrocket the prices of cars cleared at the wharf, increase inflation and further mount pressure on the already weak naira, and lead to idleness, insecurity and criminality at the border points.

The motion scaled through when it was put to vote by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara.

In another development, the House has mandated the Committee on Customs and Excise to investigate the contractual agreement between the Nigeria Customs Service and the contractors responsible for destination inspection prior to the takeover of the scheme by the customs.

The committee is also mandated to investigate the cause of the non-functioning of the scanners at the destination inspection points and report back to the House within eight weeks for further legislative input.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Honourable Abubakar Yunusa said that the motion was necessary so as to ensure that the vision of the NCS to uphold its reforms by reducing delays in the clearing of cargoes at destination entry point is achieved.