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Succour for Importers as FG Halts Vehicle Import Tax Levy
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of the Import Tax Adjustment levy on certain vehicles in the country, a move that will provide a breath of fresh air for vehicle importers.
This was one of four executive orders signed into law to curb burdensome taxation policy, according to the Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, to the President, Mr Dele Alake, on Thursday.
Among the Executive Orders signed into law by the President includes the change in the date of the implementation of the Finance Act, 2023.
The President also deferred the commencement date of the changes contained in the Act from May 23, 2023, to September 1, 2023.
This is to ensure adherence to the 90 days minimum advance notice for tax changes as contained in the 2017 National Tax Policy.
Business Post had recently spoken to some vehicle importers, who worried that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had increased the exchange rate for cargo clearing at the port from N422.30/$ to N589.45/$, as verified on the customs official website.
This newspaper also saw a list of car clearing costs as a result of the rise in the exchange rate. This provided an insight that car importers going forward will be paying more as import duty tariff following the addition of close to 40 per cent.
This will be in addition to other clearing costs, including Value Added Tax (VAT), surcharge, ECOWAS Tax Liberalization Scheme (ETL), terminal charges, shipping charges, and clearing charges to Customs Licensed Agents.
Normally, an importer of the vehicle is meant to pay 20 per cent import duty and 20 per cent levy, amounting to 40 per cent of the total value of the vehicle, but with the jump in the exchange rate, there will be a need for many to adjust their car values.
By our calculations, this meant a car that used to clear for N4.2 million would suddenly jump close to N6 million.
One of the vehicle importers, who requested to be identified simply as Micheal from ID Autos in the Egbeda area of Alimosho Local Government, Lagos, said that the company was aware of the expected hike but had gotten an in-house directive to hold on to clearing their cargoes just yet.
Now, this latest move by the President will provide succour to many already battling a hike in the cost of fuel, electricity tariffs, and other basic amenities.
The spokesperson noted that “You will all recall that prior to the advent of this administration, certain tax changes were introduced via the Customs, Excise Tariff (Variation) Amendment Order, 2023 (henceforth referred to as “the Order”) published on the 8th of May 2023 and the Finance Act, 2023, which was signed into law on the 28th of May 2023.
“Among others, the Order introduced new Excise Duty on Single Use Plastics (SUPs), higher Excise Duties on some locally manufactured products, including alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, and Green Tax by way of Import Tax Adjustment on certain categories of imported vehicles.
“The Tinubu Administration has since noticed that some of the tax policies are being implemented retroactively with their commencement dates, in some instances, pre-dating the official publication of the relevant legal instruments backing the policies. This lacuna has created some challenges of implementation.”
He noted that the reasons behind upward adjustments of some of the taxes were designed to raise revenue as well as address environmental and public health concerns.
However, they have generated some significant challenges for affected businesses and elicited serious complaints amongst key stakeholders and in the business community.
“Let me mention some of the problems we have identified with the aforementioned tax changes. A document known as the 2017 National Tax Policy approved by the Federal Executive Council of the last administration prescribes a minimum of 90 days’ notice from the government to tax-payers entities before any tax changes can take effect.
“This global practice is done with a view to giving taxpayers and businesses reasonable time to adjust to the new tax regime. However, evidencing part of the gaps pointed out earlier, both the Finance Act 2023 and the Customs Excise Tariff Order 2023 did not give the required minimum notice period, thus putting businesses in violation of the new tax regime even before the changes were gazetted,” he added.
Mr Alake also explained that as a result of this, many of the affected businesses are already contending with the rising costs, falling margins and capacity underutilization due to the various macroeconomic headwinds as well as the impact of the Naira redesign policy.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Reactions have continued to trail the decision of the federal government to stop the importation of accidented vehicles into Nigeria by car dealers and others.
On Tuesday, the government declared that it would no longer accept the importation of vehicles without prior certification, noting that it was worried at the influx of substandard automobiles into the country.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mr John Enoh, said the no certification, no entry policy tagged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria–National Automotive Design and Development Council Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme was now fully implemented with immediate effect, noting that any vehicle that fails to meet the requirements would be denied entry into the country.
“I want to clarify again that this is not a proposal or a pilot. This has become government policy and takes immediate effect upon commencement,” he declared at a meeting in Abuja, stressing that vehicles coming into the nation must obtain pre-shipment certification.
“So, the endorsement integrates vehicle safety into Nigeria’s economic policy framework. It aligns fiscal instruments, foreign exchange import financing, and revenue systems with safety and standards objectives.
“It also strengthens the long-standing work of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria and NADDC within a coordinated whole-of-government approach.
“I think that with effect from the commencement of this SON-NADDC VehCAP, all new and used vehicles and automotive products entering Nigeria must obtain pre-shipment certification on that VehCAP before form M approval, before customs valuation, before power processing, before import clearance, and before market entry,” he stated.
“No vehicle or automotive product shall be imported, cleared, registered or licensed without valid certification. Any non-compliant import shall be subject to refusal of clearance, seizure, or sanctions under applicable laws,” he added.
Mr Enoh disclosed that, “We did not arrive here by accident. Too many Nigerians have died from accidents caused by vehicles that fell short of required standards. Nigeria deserves better, and this government is determined to deliver better.”
While he admitted that some Nigerians may not be able to afford new vehicles, the government cannot fold its arms and allow its citizens to die because of substandard cars.
“I think that without taking an extreme position, we must find a middle ground. There are economic challenges, there is purchasing power, and there is also the capacity of local assemblers to meet demand.
“But at the very minimum, if we adhere strictly to existing regulations, such as limits on the age of imported vehicles, our problem will not be nearly as bad as it is,” he said.
“A vehicle that is non-compliant at the federal level must not be registered at the state level. For the FCCPC, you are expected to treat VehCAP certification as a baseline for consumer protection enforcement for vehicles. State governments, because we run a federation with federal units, state governments are expected to align vehicle registration systems with VehCAP requirements. Most importantly, let me acknowledge the very profound role that was played by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, for approving the VehCAP initiative,” he warned.
While some Nigerians applaud this initiative, others believe citizens would be exploited by government officials and make the price of fairly used cars more expensive. Some dealers have been accused of bringing in accidented cars, refurbishing them and selling to unsuspecting customers at exorbitant prices.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Individuals and syndicates involved in illegal parking extortion at the Computer Village area of Ikeja have been warned to desist or face the full weight of the law.
This caution was given by the General Manager of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA), Mrs Adebisi Adelabu, in a statement.
She said her organisation has uncovered a racket where fraudsters, working in collaboration with touts, are illegally collecting parking fees of up to N1,000 from motorists under false pretences.
Mrs Adelabu further revealed that some operatives of the Lagos Central Business District (CBD), in Ikeja, often clamp down on the illegally parked vehicles, either removing their number plates or arranging for the vehicles to be towed away, making vehicle owners pay a significant fine to recover both their vehicles and license plates.
She emphasised that the management and regulation of parking within the Ikeja business district, Computer Village and the entire state is not within the statutory purview of the CBD or any group of touts but rests exclusively with LASPA.
“We are aware of these fraudulent activities, and we want to make it clear that LASPA is the only government body legally mandated to oversee parking in Lagos State,” she said.
Continuing, the GM of LASPA condemned these illicit activities in the strongest terms, describing them as a disservice to the public and an embarrassment to the efforts of the state government at creating a seamless and orderly parking ecosystem.
The management of LASPA therefore urged all perpetrators engaged in illegal parking activities to stop immediately, adding that the Authority has revamped its monitoring and enforcement operations in the Computer Village and the State environs.
While stressing that anyone engaging in illegal parking activities will be arrested and prosecuted without leniency, Mrs Adelabu advised Lagos motorists and visitors to the Computer Village area to remain vigilant and patronise only LASPA-registered parking operators with valid identification and receipts.
The general public was also urged to report any suspected individuals or groups engaging in illegal parking operating in LASPA.
By Dipo Olowookere
Rising operational costs and declining earnings have forced drivers of ride-haling platforms like Uber and Bolt to embark on a three-day warning strike in Lagos.
This situation has not gone down well with their customers in the metropolis, who have expressed frustration over the strike.
“Though I am not happy with the action of the drivers, I feel for them because they operate in a harsh environment,” a customer of Bolt, Mr Seyi Adeniji, said.
When Business Post checked the Uber app on Monday morning to book a ride from Egbeda to Megida Ayobo, both in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, it was functional, but with fewer drivers available for pick-up, with prices ranging from N5,200 on Uber X to N7,400.
One of the drivers, who spoke with this newspaper but begged for anonymity, said efforts by them for improved packages have failed.
It was gathered that when nothing concrete came out from talks with operators of the platforms, drivers, under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), Lagos State Chapter, decided to begin a warning strike from March 16 to 18, 2026, to further press home their demands.
They want an immediate review of ride fares to reflect current economic conditions. They also seek a cut in commission charges by ride-hailing companies, and want the introduction of a guaranteed minimum trip fare.
The drivers have asked for insurance coverage, an end to unjust deactivation of driver accounts without proper investigation, and greater transparency in how fares and commissions are calculated.
In addition, they want improved safety protections for drivers through better rider-verification systems, emergency panic buttons, and faster response mechanisms in cases of security threats.
According to a statement from the spokesman of the organisation, Mr Steven Iwindoye, many drivers are struggling to remain financially viable due to increasing fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs, inflation and other living expenses, while fare structures on ride-hailing platforms have remained largely unchanged.
“Drivers operating on platforms such as Uber, Bolt, inDrive and Lagride continue to face rising operational costs, including the high price of fuel, vehicle maintenance, inflation and daily living expenses.
“Unfortunately, the fare structures and policies of these companies have not been adjusted to reflect these economic realities,” the statement said.
It was stressed that many drivers now work extremely long hours yet still struggle to earn a sustainable income, clarifying that, “This strike is not intended to punish commuters but to demand fair treatment, economic sustainability and safety protections for the drivers who power the ride-hailing industry.”
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