South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA), an 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 Nigeria and Diaspora, has strongly criticised and rejected the recent astronomical and indiscriminate increment in the import duty on cargoes charged by the Nigerian Customs Service, calling for suspension of the exercise.
The group, in a statement jointly signed by SEAMATA’s President -General, Chief Gozie Akudolu and its Secretary -General, Alex Okwudiri, in Enugu on Monday, November 29, said that Customs introduced a method of working out import duty payment on goods and set out a particular minimum amount payable for each 40ft container.
According to the statement, items with the least percentage tariff of five per cent are not even spared.
It said that 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 presently, to N3.3 million for 40ft containers; while 20ft containers jumped to N1.8 million.
“The Nigerian Customs, on their own, work 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 dovetailed 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 triggered 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, November 24, 2021, the traders resolved to very strongly 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 expected that the appeal of the traders would be favourably considered.
