ABUJA: Rice importers have taken on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over its resolve to collect the N20 billion import duty they allegedly evaded paying into the coffers of the federal government.
Following the reluctance of the rice importers to pay the import duty, the Customs High Command had issued a public notice in selected national newspapers giving the importers or their agents an ultimatum to pay on or before April 14, 2015.
Apparently seeing the ultimatum as an empty threat, the rice importers treated the public notice with levity.
Two weeks after the expiration of the ultimatum as contained in the public notice, the importers did not pay the import duty and they were not arrested by NCS or any other security agency.
THISDAY checks revealed that the importers resolve to ignore the ultimatum to pay the import duty, even as they dared NCS based on superior advice from those backing them.
Impeccable sources close to the importers and their agents said they took the decision to ignore the public notice due to the fact that the Customs High Command presently lacked what it takes to sanction them.
As far as rice importers are concerned, they regard NCS as a toothless bull dog.
This is because most of them know their way in the system from the presidency to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Investments, and Agriculture. In fact, as we speak, they are pushing for the procurement of a waiver. Once they get the waiver, it will make nonsense of the N20 billion import duty NCS has been demanding from them all these while,” the source said.
According to the source who preferred anonymity, the rice importers are adopting a multi-layered approach to ensure that they obtain the waiver.
They strongly believe the Ministry of Agriculture lacked the statutory powers to grant such waivers. That is why they are not restricting their pursuit of the waiver to that ministry alone.
Besides, the importers are banking on the fact of the imminent change in government, as they strongly believe that the out-going administration of President Goodluck Jonathan may not be keen in pursuing them to recover the money.
