Chief Suleiman Gambo Maro, APFFLON Western Zone coordinator.
Story by Dili Utomi
As the federal government through the Nigeria Customs Service begins sensitisation, preparatory to the implementation of the green tax policy, stakeholders are kicking against the recently introduced tax.
The green tax is a Nigerian government’s environmental fiscal policy that imposes a 2% to 4% surcharge on imported vehicles with large, high-emission engines. The levy targets big-engine cars to reduce carbon emissions.
The policy is aimed at imposing a 2% surcharge to vehicles with engine sizes between 2,000cc and 3,999cc and
4% surcharge on vehicles with engine sizes of 4,000cc and above. The policy provides that vehicles with engines under 2,000cc, electric vehicles, mass transit buses, and locally manufactured or assembled vehicles are completely exempt from this tax. The policy is initiated to align Nigeria with global climate objectives.
As the Federal Ministry of Finance through the NCS engages stakeholders before the implementation, the stakeholders are at daggers drawn for a number of reasons. Ibrahim Hassan is the Apapa chapter chairman of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON). He complained that stakeholders were not consulted before the policy was put in place.
His senior colleague in the Association, Chief Suleiman Gambo Maro, the coordinator of the Western Zone, APFFLON, also lent his voice to the call for non-implementation of the green tax policy.
Aside the reason of lack of stakeholders consultation by the Finance Ministry, he noted that the Nigeria Customs Service made no input in the formulation of the policy. Chief Maro added that, it all amounts to economic ambush for the government to call the Customs to sensitise stakeholders 72 hours to implementation of the policy.
Chief Maro’s words “Comptroller Mu’azu who briefed us about their intention to implement the policy starting from this week, last Friday admitted that the Nigeria Customs Service was not given the chance to make any input, but was only sent a draft copy of the policy”.
He opined that it is not right that a policy that will affect freight forwarders did not involve then ab initio. Chief Maro wants the federal government to halt any attempt at implementing this new tax regime so that stakeholders can go for wider consultation and for the input of members as well.
He asked rhetorically what the benefit of the green tax policy will be for stakeholders in particular and the public in general, aside the usual urge to take in more revenue. He advises a cautious approach to the issue of tax imposition on the already pauperised and impoverished citizens of Nigeria.
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