The South East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA), has criticised and rejected the recent “astronomical and indiscriminate ...
The South East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association
(SEAMATA), has criticised and rejected the recent “astronomical and
indiscriminate ”increment in the import duty on cargoes charged by Nigerian
Customs.
SEAMATA is the umbrella union of traders in all the markets
in the South-East Geo-political Zone and traders of South-East extraction doing
business across the states in the Federation and in Diaspora.
This is contained in a statement, jointly signed by
SEAMATA’s President General, Chief Gozie Akudolu, and Secretary General, Mr
Alex Okwudiri, in Enugu on Monday.
It said that the Nigerian Customs introduced a method of
working out import duty payment on goods and set out a particular minimum
amount payable for each 40-ft container.
The statement noted that items with the least percentage
tariff of 5 per cent are not even spared.
According to the statement, current import duties are no
longer calculated based on invoice value of consignments.
The statement reads in part: “Between 2020 and now, the
amount charged on cargoes as import duties has risen in geometric proportion
from N750,000 to N2 million, again to N3 million and currently, to N3.3 million
for 40-ft containers; while 20-ft containers jumped to N1.8 million.
“The Nigerian Customs, on their own, worked out payable
import duty now based on “estimated” invoice value of consignment as against
the actual invoice value of goods from the country of origin.
“This development is not only bringing untold hardships to
importers but is also compounding the pains of the citizens as it dovetails to
astronomical increase in prices of imported goods as the Nigerian Customs
estimated invoice value is always far above the actual cost of the imports.
“The indiscriminate estimate of value of goods by Nigerian
Customs is adversely affecting the prices of goods in the markets today, both
imported and locally-produced as it triggers a chain reaction.
“Even agricultural products are not spared in the chain
effect of the price increase.
“In the general meeting held in Onitsha on Wednesday, Nov.
24, 2021, the traders resolved to condemn and reject the increment.
“We are appealing to the Honourable Minister of Finance,
Budget and National Planning to prevail on the Nigerian Customs to, as a matter
of urgency, suspend the exercise.
“This is to save the Nigerian citizens from further economic
hardships as further economic pains that follow such situations could lead to
social unrest which our nation doesn’t need now”.
The statement also prayed and expects that the appeal of the
traders would be favourably considered.
NewsWireNGR recalls yam sellers in Enugu had earlier in the
year lamented the high cost of transportation.
A yam seller, Mrs Agnes Onyeabor, says she and her
colleagues spent more than N500,000 to ferry a truck-load of yam tubers from
Benue to Enugu.
Onyeabor claimed that the half a million naira spent
comprised market levies, transportation cost and money paid to youths, loaders
and the one used to “settle“ security men.
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