KOREDE FOGO
The national public relations officer, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Timi Bomodi, on Wednesday resolved that the service will hold town hall meeting with clearing agents and importers on the recently launched Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) valuation policy.
Speaking in a chat with BUSINESSinsiderng, Bomodi said the town hall meeting will be held in Lagos and other parts of the country saying the town hall meeting with stakeholders will hopefully resolve the issue once and for all.
Bomodi, a deputy controller of Customs who said the service expected resistance to the policy stated that clearing agents and importers are the ultimate beneficiary of the VIN valuation policy.
“Clearing agents have been engaged at PTML and Tin Can Island and their leaders have been spoken to. We told them what the service intend to do going forward and we will carry out more enlightenment on this issue by next week. We will be in Lagos for a town hall meeting with stakeholders and hopefully we will resolve this issue once and for all.
“And even before the service commenced the VIN valuation policy, we engaged the stakeholders but, am surprised by the number of feedback we got. I don’t get it and I hope some people feed on controversy and this is unnecessary.”
Speaking on resistance to the policy, Bomodi said, “when people react the way they do, it is expected because they have been acting in a particular way and its difficult to change. We expect that there is going to be lot of resistance but definitely we want then to know that they are the ultimate beneficiary of a system like this.”
When asked when the strike is likely to be called off, Bomodi said as soon as clearing agents are tired, they will return to work.
“We are not the one that ask them to go on strike, it’s their perogative that they decided to exercise it. They called themselves they wanted to strike and am sure when they get tired of it, they will go back to work so, we are not the one to tell them to stop or go back to work,” he stated.