A new schedule expected to end the smuggling of vehicles into Nigeria through the land borders will commence by March 31, 2016. All imported automobiles being imported into the country are expected to be registered under the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) scheme, the federal government disclosed.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, during the opening of a workshop on the integration of the National Vehicle Identification System held at the Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja recently, disclosed that the initiative is introduced to counter the activities of smugglers through the use of technology, also to eliminate revenue leakage by ensuring that appropriate duties are paid on imported vehicles in order to boost revenue collection.

She said, “Going forward, we are introducing a new system where all vehicles will be registered using the Vehicle Identification Number, effective March 31, 2017. Customs clearance will be linked to the VIN, and this in turn, will be required by each state government at the point of vehicle registration.

“Effectively, any vehicle on which duty has not been paid will not be able to be registered and driven in Nigeria. We are using technology to make smuggling an unprofitable venture.”

Adeosun urged members of the public to ensure that they obtained proof of customs duty payment when purchasing a vehicle to avoid being saddled with the liability of unpaid duties and related penalties.

She added, “The VIN provides a form of identity for each vehicle that will be linked to proof of ownership and connected to a centralised database. Another advantage of the VIN is that the original vehicle manufacturers will be aware of the vehicles imported into Nigeria.

“This information is important where safety and other recalls are issued internationally. The manufacturers will now have no excuse for not extending the benefits of such recalls to Nigerian customers.

“The objective is to ensure transparency and accountability in the collection of duties and create a central system for tracking all vehicles coming into Nigeria independent of point of entry, shared database for all regulatory and enforcement agencies and requirements. As we expand the database to cover all cars, we will be able to tackle car theft and non-insurance of vehicles, among others.”