Auto
Stock Exchange Slams N22.1m Fine on RT Briscoe
By Dipo Olowookere
An automobile company listed on the trading platform of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), R.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc, has been slammed with a huge monetary fine.
A document sighted by Business Post over the weekend showed that the company was slapped with a sanction to the tune of N22.1 million.
It was gathered that the fine was placed on the firm for its failure to file its financial statements at the due time as required by the listing rules.
Recall that RT Briscoe and five other companies on the exchange were the first set to be suspended by the exchange this year. They were suspended on September 1, 2020.
For the auto firm, trading in its shares was paused by the NSE over its failure to submit its audited financial statements for the 2019 financial year and the results for the first and second quarters of 2020.
After the embargo on the trading of its equities, the organisation took an action by releasing them, which made the suspension to be lifted in compliance with the listing rules.
However, for not doing the needful at the appropriate time, the stock exchange has fined the company and this is expected to be paid from the purse of the organisation.
It was gathered that for filing its 2019 earnings late, the company has been asked to pay a fine of N8.3 million, while the late submission of its Q1 2020 results attracted N8.5 million and the late filing of the Q2 2020 accounts attracted N5.3 million.
Business Post reports that RT Briscoe has been going through a rough time lately.
In its 2019 results, its auditors, PKF Professional Services, warned that the company may be forced to wind down over its inability to meet its obligations because it is not generating enough funds.
According to PKF Professional Services, the group’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by N14.8 billion versus N13.4 billion in 2018, while its total liabilities exceeded its total assets by N9.5 billion compared with N8.2 billion in 2018.
“Due to the losses incurred over the years, the shareholders’ fund has been totally eroded to the tune of N9.4 billion deficit as at December 31, 2019,” the note from the auditors said.
The auditors had further said the bank overdrafts of RT Briscoe as December 31, 2019, stood at N15 billion, representing 86 per cent of the total liabilities which is significant in the consolidated financial statements.
“The company has not been able to repay the bank overdraft and this has led to winding-up cases by the banks and other creditors.
“There are also issues on penalty charges by the banks. The significant, in relation to the inability to repay the borrowings which led to court litigations and also the going concern issues, make it a key audit matter,” the auditors said in the report.
It has been opined that the latest fine of N22.1 million of the NSE on the company may further compound the woes of RT Briscoe, according to an investor in the nation’s stock market.
“This is not good for the company, especially the shareholders’, who value have been eroded,” Mr Adegbite Salami, informed Business Post on Monday.
By Dipo Olowookere
Residents and motorists plying the Aina Obembe Road in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, may soon heave a sigh of relief as the excruciating traffic gridlock being experienced in the area both day and night may soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, has directed those involved in indiscriminate truck parking along the road to remove the heavy-duty vehicles within one week, threatening to invoke appropriate enforcement measures for noncompliance with this directive.
Speaking during a meeting on Wednesday with the management of SENA Company, which owns the affected trucks, as well as the leadership of Oluwadara CDA and other key stakeholders like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), at the council’s secretariat, Mr Agbaje frowned at the prolonged inconvenience suffered by the community, stressing that public roads must remain accessible and safe for all users.
He emphasised the need for a collaborative approach in resolving the issue without undermining legitimate business operations, noting that he’s focused on finding a lasting solution to the gridlock experienced between Oluwaga and Aina Obembe, where parked trucks have continued to obstruct traffic, disrupt business activities, and pose safety concerns for residents and motorists.
He tasked the firm and the CDA to jointly identify and implement alternative parking arrangements that would remove all trucks from the affected roads and restore the free flow of traffic.
He declared that, “The welfare of our people remains our highest priority. No individual or corporate organisation should obstruct public infrastructure or create avoidable hardship for residents. We must ensure that economic activities coexist with public safety, order, and convenience.”
The council chief reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting orderly development, ensuring safe and accessible roads, improving traffic management, and creating an environment where businesses can thrive alongside the well-being of residents.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has cut import levies on new and used vehicles by as much as 10 per cent in a move aimed at reducing the cost of vehicle importation, even as it commenced the implementation of a new Green Tax surcharge.
According to an update issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, the import levy on new vehicles has been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
The customs said the policy is designed to ease the cost of vehicle imports while advancing the government’s environmental sustainability objectives through the newly introduced Green Tax.
The implementation also reduces the overall import duty on fully built passenger vehicles from 70 per cent to 40 per cent.
As part of the Green Tax framework, a new environmental surcharge of between two per cent and four per cent will apply to petrol-powered vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2,000cc. However, mass transit buses, electric vehicles, and passenger cars with engines below 2,000cc are exempt from the surcharge.
Beyond the automobile sector, the fiscal measures also lower import duties on several essential goods. The duty on imported rice has been reduced from 70 per cent to 47.5 per cent, while crude palm oil now attracts a 28.75 per cent duty.
In addition, import duties on agricultural and manufacturing machinery have been completely removed to support local production, while Waste PET has been added to the export prohibition list to encourage domestic recycling.
By Dipo Olowookere
Plans are underway to carry out a comprehensive data capture and registration exercise of all commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators within Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA.
This move, according to the council chairman, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, is part of proactive measures to strengthen the security of lives and property across the Local Council Development Area (LCDA). The exercise, he said, would be executed in partnership with security agencies and transport unions.
On Tuesday, the council chief convened a high-level security meeting with leaders of commercial transport unions and key security stakeholders operating within the area.
Mr Agbaje expressed concern over the increasing influx of commercial motorcycle (Okada) and tricycle (Keke) operators into the LCDA without proper documentation or profiling.
According to him, the absence of reliable records poses significant security challenges and could provide opportunities for criminal elements to infiltrate communities under the guise of commercial transportation.
He stressed that security is best achieved through preventive measures, noting that effective profiling and documentation remain essential tools in safeguarding residents and protecting the council from emerging security threats.
Mr Agbaje disclosed that under the new security framework, all Okada and Keke parks and operational locations across the LCDA would be officially documented, adding that every duly verified operator would receive an official identification jacket bearing a unique coded number to facilitate easy identification and monitoring.
He also said a mandatory guarantor system will be introduced to strengthen accountability, ensuring that every registered rider has a verifiable guarantor who can be contacted whenever necessary.
The chairman noted that these measures are designed not only to improve security coordination but also to protect law-abiding commercial operators and discourage criminal activities within the council.
Leaders of the various transport unions welcomed the initiative, noting that proper documentation will distinguish genuine operators from criminal elements, enhance public confidence, and promote a safer working environment for commercial transporters.
Also, the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Ayobo and Ipaja Commands commended the initiative, describing it as a timely and commendable step towards strengthening community policing. They reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to working closely with the council to ensure full compliance and sustain peace and public order.
