Amid the controversy over the attempt by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to force motor owners to pay duty on uncustomised vehicles, the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) has launched an automated customs duty verification sticker.
The move, which was a prompt
response to address the controversies between the auto dealers and the NCS on one hand and their customers on the other, is expected to lay to rest, under-payment of customs duties across the country and save them from unnecessary harassment and detention.
AMDON National President, Ajibola Adedoyin, disclosed yesterday in Abuja that the essence of the sticker was to make it difficult for the sale of uncustomised vehicles, stop the suffering car dealers usually find themselves as well as eradicate the embarrassment faced by customers and end-users.
“This development is in collaboration with NCS. The stickers are fitted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) that contains information readable through the handset,” he said.
The stickers are to cost N5,000 and signify that vehicle that have them have been verified with the use of the numbers provided by the NCS pending when the short code for easier verification will be ready and issued.
With this, Adedoyin explained that vehicle buyers were admonished to look out for these stickers before purchasing any vehicle.
“The RFID contains the VID (Vehicle Identification) number which is for security purposes, the chasis number and the owner phone number. The subsequent AMDON RFID stickers to be produced will even contain more information which will include the reference number, which is the NCS port of entry and date of registration which are the requirements to authenticate the genuineness of duty payment as approved by the NCS.
“It is our hope that by our commitment towards this project, we would have been able to reduce all the above stated problems to the barest minimum,” he said
The AMDON president advised all members of the association to strictly adhere to the directives, and encouraged all car dealers who are yet to identify with the association to do so.
Adedoyin also disclosed that AMDON was partnering the Nigeria Police Force to reduce to the barest minimum, the issue of stolen vehicles.
This synergy, he stated, was expected to curb security issues associated with car theft.
(Thisdaylive)
