"Jonathan’s Policy On ‘Tokunbo’ Cars Must Be Reversed" Says Sen. Wakili

The senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Ali Wakili, has pledged to champion the reversal of the federal government automobile policy that led to increment in tariff on imported second-hand (also called tokunbo) vehicles.

 The Jonathan administration introduced the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan in 2013 to ensure increased local manufacture of vehicles and limit importation of tokunbo cars by raising tariff on them to as high as 70 per cent of vehicle cost.

The policy generated mixed reactions with commercial road transporters and some businesses questioning the policy while the government defended it; saying in 2014 that the implementation was already working positively for the country as some vehicle manufacturers had either started or stated their intentions to start assembling vehicles in the country.

The new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has not stated any policy direction on automobiles, as well as others, as Nigerians await the president to appoint his ministers.

However, Mr. Wakili said the hike in tariff on the second-hand cars may not only deny the country the needed revenue, but also emasculate the middle class.

The lawmaker, who is a retired Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, said this in an interview with Premium Times in his home in Bauchi.

“The new customs tariff on cars need to be reviewed downward because we need to re-establish the middle class in Nigeria,” he said.