TheNewsGuru

Tag: Vehicles

  • Nepal bans vehicles older than 20 years

    Nepal on Thursday banned from the roads vehicles older than 20 years across the country in a bid to control worsening air quality and to ease traffic congestion, officials said.

    The government decision, which followed a similar campaign in the capital Kathmandu a year ago, has forced more than 5,000 ageing vehicles, including buses and trucks off the road.

    But an organisation representing transport businessmen criticized the government move.

    “We were not consulted before the authorities took the decision. They don’t have any plan on what to do with the vehicles,” said Dharma Rimal, an official at the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs.

    “Vehicles older than 20 years still ply the rural roads. I don’t think it will be fully implemented,” he told dpa.

    In a notice published in newspapers on Thursday, the Department of Transport Management said if such vehicles were found plying the roads, officials will seize them.

    Authorities have also banned cars from core parts of Kathmandu to reduce congestion.

    The global Environmental Performance Index released earlier this year ranked Nepal’s air quality as one of the worst in the world.

     

  • [Photos] Vehicles, bags of rice destroyed as fire guts Customs warehouse in Lagos

    [Photos] Vehicles, bags of rice destroyed as fire guts Customs warehouse in Lagos

    A warehouse belonging to the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A was on Thursday gutted by fire in Lagos.

    The warehouse which was filled with seized vehicles and foreign parboiled rice was destroyed by the fire which occurred about noon.

    According to an eyewitness, the fire razed substantial part of the warehouse destroying six trucks, 15 cars/vans and a fully loaded truck with seized foreign parboiled rice.

    The eyewitness also disclosed that goods worth several millions of naira were destroyed in the inferno.

    But speaking to newsmen, the Deputy Head, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasaki Musibau, said the fire started from a burst cylinder stored under one of the burnt vehicles.

    Details later…

  • Customs generates N1.9bn in 9months, seizes 3, 278 bags of rice, 55 vehicles

    The Niger Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service, says it generated N1.9 billion from January to September.

    The Area Controller, Mr Benjamin Binga, told newsmen on Tuesday in Minna that the command also seized 3, 278 bags of rice and 55 vehicles with Duty Paid Value of N52.6 million and 51.6 million respectively during the period.

    According to him, the command, made up of Niger, Kogi and Kwara states, will meet its 2017 revenue target of N2.8 billion by the end of the year.

    The controller stressed that customs personnel would continue to mount surveillance and adopt measures to make smuggling impossible in the area.

    “The command has deployed competent officers to manage all identified illegal routes used by smugglers to bring in unwholesome goods into the country,” Binga said.

    He solicited for the support of community leaders in the three states to assist customs field officers with vital information on the movement of smugglers.

     

    NAN

  • We confiscated 3,665 vehicles worth N13bn in two years – Customs

    The Comptroller General of Customs, retired, Hameed Ali, said that the service has seized 3,665 vehicles from 2015 till date with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N13 billion.

    Ali said this during his lecture titled “Problem of Smuggling and its attendant Consequence on Nigeria’ s Economy and the Way Out” at the IBB Golf and Country Club, on Thursday in Abuja.

    Ali, who gave a breakdown of the seizures, said in 2015, 1,917 vehicles were seized with DPV of N3.856 billion and 1,483 vehicls were seized in 2016 with DPV of N2.683 billion.

    He added that from January to August his year 265 were seized with DPV of N6.625 billion.

    The Customs boss said that the high value recorded in 2017 was because most of the vehicles were of high value which included 15 bullet proof vehicles.

    Ali said out of the 18 vehicles seized in September in Abuja over non-duty payment, 13 were bullet proof vehicles of which 10 have no Customs papers.

    He said that Nigeria imported about 70 per cent of its needs and that 45 per cent of all the imports were smuggled into the country.

    “Lack of patriotism among the traders and complicity of Customs officers has added to the problem.

    “Over 85 per cent traders are not trustworthy as they falsify documents except for about five per cent of them who can be trusted and often have their goods cleared within 48 hours,” Mr. Ali said.

    He said that the four arms containers intercepted this year were concealed with many cases of under declaration and diversion of imported goods.

    On the challenges of Customs in fighting smuggling, he said the Service lost three officers this year.

    Ali said that Customs under him was being sanitised and now very few corrupt officers in its midst.

    “Ninety per cent of our officers are now imbibing the culture of doing the right thing.”

    He urged Nigerians to report corrupt officers to enable the service weed out the 10 per cent of the corrupt officers.

    Ali said that importers must be patriotic and stop inducing officers to fast track clearance of their goods.

    According to him, smuggling is a problem to the society that kills the local industries, adding that it hinders the growth of the economy.

    Ali attributed the cause of smuggling to greed.

     

  • Again, customs intercept, confiscate 27 exotic vehicles, contrabands in Lagos

    …Arrest 15 suspects

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Unit (FOU), Zone ‘ A’ Ikeja, Lagos has intercepted another 27 exotic vehicles, fake drugs and other items valued at N783.6million

    Fifteen smugglers, the Unit said, were arrested in connection with the seized items.

    The seized 27 exotic vehicles comprises of Toyota Prado, Toyata Hilux, Toyota Highlander, Mercedes Benz and other classic vehicles with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N228,215,429.1

    The vehicles, findings revealed, are 2007 and 2013 models.

    Addressing reporters in Lagos Monday, its Controller Mohammed Garba said, his officers also seized 145 sacks of 10kg each and 120 parcels of 1kg each of Indian hemp.

    The monetary value of the Indian hemp, the Controller said, is N72,960,000.

    Others contrabands intercepted by the officers and men of the unit were expired rice, frozen poultry, used tyres, used clothes and general merchandise.

    The Controller said the seizures were made between August 9 and 25, 2017.

    He listed other contraband intercepted within the period as including: 1, 237 of 50 kg bags of rice valued at N15.2million; 137 bales of second hand clothing and lace material with DPV of N27million; 523 pieces of used tyres valued at N2.8 million.

    Others are 1,393 cartons of frozen poultry, one container marked FCIU 8437297 laden with used cars and other contraband, one container number, TCLU 178477/5 laden with 308 used truck tyres and tubes and. 858 cartons of rechargeable inverter battery packed in container marked PCIU 1884380.

    Garba added that the anti-smuggling unit recovered N252,1million from duty payments and demand notices on general goods intercepted outside the seaports, airports and borders.

    Garba said that the amount was realised from wrong classification, transfer of value and shortchange in duty payment.

    The Indian hemp and the fake drugs were handed over at the event, to the official of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) respectively.

     

  • Kidnapping: Lawmakers go invisible, dump official vehicles, plate numbers

    Kidnapping: Lawmakers go invisible, dump official vehicles, plate numbers

    Due to the rising cases of high profile kidnapping cases and the subsequent request for huge ransome by kidnappers in the country, some lawmakers have decided to stop the use of their official vehicles and number plates for fear of being identified and kidnapped.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the decision is coming after a lawmaker from Kano State, Garba Umar-Durbunde, was kidnapped by gunmen along the Abuja-Kaduna Road, after which he reportedly paid N10m ransom to secure his freedom.

    TheNewsGuru.com also reports that Senator Jonah Jang’s aide was killed last weekend, in an attempt to abduct his boss.

    A member of the House of Representatives who spoke with The Punch said that it was no longer safe to use official plate numbers, because of the level of insecurity in the country.

    “Look around, how many members do you see using their number plates with ‘Rep’ boldly written and displayed?

    “Before now, it was fashionable to do so. The number plates could open the way for you because it identified you as a VIP; but not anymore because of security concerns.

    “These days, people do not want to be identified as lawmakers. When a member uses the official number plate, you will find out that it will be covered.

    “Covering the plates ordinarily means that they are not riding in the vehicles, but the truth is that they are there in them.

    “Generally, they want to keep a low profile. Some prefer that they are not noticed at all than for them to be noticed with a retinue of policemen, which draws attention,” he said.

    The Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Adesoji Akanbi, admitted that he has stopped going on road trips except it is unavoidable.

    He said: “I believe that it is the duty of the government to protect lives and properties. Either as a lawmaker or not, the government owes you that duty. But being a lawmaker exposes you to such people (criminals) more and I believe that the onus is on all of us (lawmakers) to take our security seriously.

    “Someone like me did not believe in going around with persons for security but right now, I have to start thinking about it. I didn’t believe that there was the need to move about with security detail, the reason being that I am loved in my constituency and connected with them.

    “But it is getting beyond that now and we now have to take our security seriously. The law enforcement agencies must also support us lawmakers.”

    He added, “Of course, road travels have disappeared on my radar especially now that the airports are operating. It is now suicidal to go on road trips unless something urgent happens and there are no flights.”

     

  • Customs set to license inland bonded vehicle terminals

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it is set to issue licences for inland bonded vehicle terminals in the country.

    Mr Joseph Attah, the Public Relations Officer of the service, disclosed this in an interview newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Attah said that the licence was for motor dealers and any interested persons that wanted to operate inland bonded vehicle terminal in Nigeria.

    He said that interested applicants should have a large plot of land and fenced before he or she could apply.

    “The coming into effect of this bonded vehicle terminals apart from securing government revenue, it will also provide job opportunities for our teeming youths.

    “Security is guaranteed because unlike smuggling, these vehicles come through the bushes across the border which sometime you don’t even know what these vehicles carry inside the country.

    ‘These vehicles are coming from the seaport, properly examined and escorted into the hands of the final users.

    “Today customs is ready for this and any interested persons need to start by writing application through the Area Comptroller of the command where he wants to locate or site his bonded terminal.

    “There is a bond, we call it bonded vehicle terminal, he will have to approach a bank and enter into a bond to the tune of N50 million, a bank bond of N50 million.”

    Attah said that the essence of the bank bond was to ensure that government revenue was secure, adding that a bond from any licensed commercial bank would be accepted by Customs.

    According to him, before introducing bond terminals, the service has carried out studies to know that car park is the major thing that attracts some of Nigerian youths and car dealers to our neighbouring countries ports.

    Attah said that the essence of the vehicle terminal was to strengthen businesses of car dealers and boost employment rate in the country.

    The spokesman reiterated that the requirement to operate bonded vehicle terminals was formal application through the area command of the proposed terminal.

    He said that an environment conductive for working was required, with computerised system that could be connected to Customs ICT.

    He added that others were Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Article of Association and current customs agent licence.

    Attah said that an audited account of the company’s current tax clearance certificate, bank recommendation, among others, were required to operate a vehicle terminal.

    He said that with the help of a bonded terminal, an operator could import vehicle from any part of the world and manifest it as vehicle destined to any terminal within the country.

    He said that on arrival at the seaport, customs officers would escort the vehicles to the dealer’s terminal without payment of duty, adding that the vehicles would stay in his terminal at least 30 days without paying of duties .

    “Customs will establish an outpost within each of these terminals; if any customer comes and buys a vehicle, he will simply pay duty at the customs outpost located in that particular terminal.

    He said that wherever the terminals were commercial banks would begin to open branches because of the volume of commercial transaction that would take place.

    According to him, the vehicle terminals will create job opportunities, ensure security and enhance revenue generation.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the policy of banning importation of vehicles through the land borders took effect on Jan.1.

    Toward the end of January, customs and the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria met to discuss the modalities on how to operate inland bonded vehicle terminals in the country.

     

     

    NAN

  • NASS can’t reverse FG’s decision on ban of vehicles through land borders – Group

    NASS can’t reverse FG’s decision on ban of vehicles through land borders – Group

    The National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents, (NCMDLCA) has said the National Assembly cannot reverse the decision of the Federal Government to ban vehicles coming in the nation through land borders.

    The National President of the Council, Mr. Lucky Amiwero revealed this while speaking to newsmen. Amiwero noted that the National Assembly can only appeal the ban since it is an executive order from the presidency rather than giving a counter order to have the ban reversed.

    Amiwero said the matter can be resolved if both the executive and legislative come together in the interest of Nigerians to review the policy.

    He said until the government review the tariffs on trade, the country will keep losing cargo traffic to ports of neighbouring countries.

    Recall that the Senate last week called on the Federal Government to suspend the enforcement of ban on importation of vehicles through land borders.

    However, the Nigeria Customs Service has said there is no going back on the FG’s ban which according to the NCS has been effective since January 1 this year.

  • 2017 Budget: FG earmarks N400m to buy vehicles for Jonathan, Obasanjo, Gowon, others

    2017 Budget: FG earmarks N400m to buy vehicles for Jonathan, Obasanjo, Gowon, others

     

    …former Heads of States and their deputies to get new car each

    The Federal Government has earmarked about N400m to buy vehicles for all the nation’s living former heads of government and their deputies in the 2017 budget of ‘Recovery and Growth’.

    The figure formed part of the N9.882bn budgeted for the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for the year.

    Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday December 14 presented a proposal of N7.298 trillion for the 2017 budget, which is a 20.4% increase over the 2016 estimate.

    According to the details of the 2017 Appropriation Bill currently before the National Assembly, N280.099m was budgeted for the purchase of vehicles for seven former Presidents and Heads of State.

    Further details showed that N120.090m would be used to procure vehicles for four former Vice-Presidents and ex-Chiefs of General Staff.

    The nation’s seven living former heads of government include Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.); Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari; Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.); Chief Ernest Shonekan; Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.); and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The four living former Vice-Presidents and ex-Chiefs of General Staff are former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme; Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd.); Gen. Oladipo Diya (retd.), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

    However, the budget details did not indicate the number of vehicles that would be bought for each of the former leaders. The brands of the vehicles were also not disclosed.

    Apart from the leaders, the office of the SGF will also buy N32m vehicles for offices and units in the office.

    The government will also spend a total of N170m on the nation’s Independence Day and Democracy Day celebrations.

    While Nigeria’s Democracy Day holds every May 29, Independence Day holds every October 1.

    The office is also expected to spend N1.322bn on the procurement and installation of security system across selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    The office will also spend N104.586m on what it called support and maintenance of e-council document management; it will spend N290m on electronic document and content management system and another N45m on electronic document management and archival system in the OSGF.

    Upgrading and maintenance of Council Chambers Conference System will gulp N55m; N35m will be spent on one Xerox D125 photocopy machine; N20.8m on purchase of 52 laptop computers; N54.35m for the purchase of equipment for the production of staff identity cards and installation of file tracking system; and N5m for the OSGF website.

    Another N3.8m is budgeted for the purchase of what is called multi-functional photocopy machine for the Procurement Department and N29.5m for archival project Phases I, II and III for cabinet secretariat document and file organisation.

  • FG bans importation of vehicles through land borders

    FG bans importation of vehicles through land borders

    The Federal Government has banned the importation of vehicles into the country through land borders.

    In a statement on Monday in Abuja, Mr Wale Adeniyi, the Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Officer, stated that “the prohibition order covers all new and used vehicles”.

    Adeniyi also said the ban was sequel to a presidential directive restricting all vehicle imports to Nigeria’s Sea ports only, adding that the order takes effect from Jan. 1, 2017.

    “The restriction on importation of vehicles follows that of rice; import of rice through land borders has been banned since April 2016.

    “Importers of vehicles through the land borders are requested to utilise the grace period until Dec. 31, 2016 to clear their vehicle imports landed in neighbouring Ports,” Adeniyi said.